4. Gün
4.GÜN
After having breakfast at the hotel, we check out and meet your guide at the hotel lobby at 09:00 to visit the historical part of Şanlıurfa. Urfa is considered one of the oldest cities in the world. The ancient Greeks and Romans called this place Edessa. The city is known as one of the oldest centers of Christianity.
We are setting out to visit Göbekli Tepe. It is an archaeological site from the New Stone Age located in the Turkish part of Upper Mesopotamia. The settlement was occupied during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period, from approximately 9500 BC to at least 8000 BC. Göbeklitepe is the oldest known historical structure in the world so far. It is also referred to as the "zero point of history" in some popular sources. The work consists of a series of large circular structures with stone columns, which are the oldest known megaliths in the world. Even the famous Egyptian Pyramids and Stonehenge were built approximately 6000 years later. Göbekli Tepe was finally opened to visitors in 2018. It is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
After lunch, we travel 60 km to Harran, the most important ancient city of Upper Mesopotamia, mentioned many times in the Bible. Harran was founded as a trading colony between the 25th and 20th centuries BC, probably by Sumerian merchants from Ur. During its early history, Harran quickly became an important Mesopotamian cultural, commercial and religious centre. Thanks to its relationship with Sin, the moon god, Harran became a religiously and politically influential city, not only with its historical sites but also with its historical sites.
It is also famous for its traditional adobe "beehive" houses that stay cool even in the hot summer months. In the construction of Harran Kümbet Houses, the overlay technique was used on a square or nearly square prismatic foundation. Each of the domes above the houses consists of 500 bricks. Materials such as rose oil, terracotta and egg white used in the mortar keep the structures intact while also providing insulation suitable for the region's climate.
After our visit to Harran, we set out for Gaziantep. (194-km)
Dinner at the hotel. After dinner, those who want to go to the city center, the historical center of Gaziantep; Here you will wander the narrow streets surrounded by old Antep houses made of stone and wood and have an exciting time buying local souvenirs, antique and modern copper, leather and silk works of art in the Eastern Bazaar. We take a coffee break at Tahmis Coffeehouse, the symbol of Gaziantep. Founded around 1635, it is one of the oldest coffeehouses in the world with authentic interiors. Here you will enjoy a coffee prepared according to old oriental recipes, satisfying even the most discerning palate.