Nature / Lake
Balıklıgöl (Halil-ür Rahman and Ayn-ı Zeliha Lakes)
Eyyübiye, Şanlıurfa
Two pools famous for carp considered sacred, where it is believed that the fire into which the Prophet Abraham was thrown turned into water and the logs into fish.
Safety warning
Its story
The Halil-ür Rahman and Ayn-ı Zeliha lakes, southwest of the city center, are the most visited place in Şanlıurfa. In Islamic, Jewish and Christian traditions they are remembered as the place where Nimrod threw the Prophet Abraham into the fire; according to popular belief, the fire turned into water and the logs into fish. For this reason the whiskered carp in the lakes are considered sacred, and are not caught or eaten. Researchers link the origin of the pools to the sacred fish pools of the goddess Atargatis, worshipped in the region in the Hellenistic period. Around the lakes are the Halil-ür Rahman and Rızvaniye mosques, arcades and rose gardens; the castle and its two columns rising behind create the most beautiful view in the evening light. The present layout was created with architect Merih Karaaslan's Dergâh and Balıklıgöl Environmental Design Project.
Key facts
- Admission
- Free
- Best time
- Late afternoon
- Getting there
- Eyyübiye, historic center; walking distance to the Covered Bazaar
- Visit duration
- 1–2 hours
Trip purpose
- Accessible
- Free
- Photography
- Traveling with kids
Location
37.14769, 38.78453
Reviews
No approved reviews yet. Reviews are written in the app after a visit.
Source: Web derlemesi (doğrulanmalı): https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balıklıgöl | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balıklıgöl | https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/9469586305 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/188110243