By Lisa Morrow, CNN
Şanliurfa, Turkey (CNN) — Under the shadow of a centuries-old castle in Şanlıurfa, in southeastern Turkey, black-spotted golden carp swim in turquoise pools. Tradition holds they were created after Mesopotamian king Nemrut bin Kenan threw the Prophet Ibrahim into a fire burning on the plain below, sometime in the third millennium BCE.
Preaching against idolatry and declaring there was only one god, Ibrahim (or Abraham, as he’s known by Jews and Christians) was a thorn in Nemrut’s side. As Nemrut believed himself a god, Ibrahim had to go. Two Roman columns, visible above the plain, mark the spot.
What’s in a name?
Şanlıurfa, 40 miles north of the Syrian border, was once part of upper Mesopotamia and home to dozens of civilizations — each leaving its mark.
The Aramaean confederacy of tribes called it Urhai, while the Seleucid Dynasty (while ruled from 312 to 64 BCE) used the name Edessa. After the Arabic conquest in the 7th century CE, it became Roha. The Ottomans, who conquered the city in the 16th century, renamed it Urfa in 1607.
In 1984, Şanlı, or “glorious” in Turkish, was added — “in recognition of the city’s resistance during the Turkish War of Independence,” says tour guide Murat Tanrıtanır. Locals had fought against British and French troops who occupied the city after the Ottoman Empire’s defeat in World War I.
‘City of Prophets’
Urfa is known as the City of Prophets. Revered in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, it is associated with figures including Ibrahim, Job, Jethro and Noah.
Muslim pilgrims head to the Dergah Mosque Complex in the old town, shaded by mature trees among velvety carpets of grass dotted with rose bushes.
At its heart is the Balıklıgöl — “Fish Lake,” actually two pools teeming with hundreds of black-spotted carp. The larger, Halil ür-Rahman, marks the spot where Nemrut, or Nimrod, is said to have tried to kill Ibrahim. God intervened, the story goes, turning flames into water and logs into fish. The black spots on the scales are said to be ash from the fire. The smaller pool, Aynzeliha, is named for Nemrut’s daughter Zeliha, a follower of Ibrahim, who died after throwing herself into the fire.
“Visiting Balıklıgöl is always emotional,” says Mehmet Kaya, a local farmer whose family has lived in Şanlıurfa for generations. “It’s not just a tourist spot — it’s a sacred place tied to the story of the Prophet Ibrahim. People come to pray, feed the holy fish, and feel the peaceful air. It reminds us of our deep spiritual roots and the stories we’ve grown up hearing.”
A holy cave
Ibrahim is said to have landed unharmed at Balıklıgöl, but this was not his first close call with Nemrut. While still in his mother’s womb, Ibrahim’s life was threatened after Nemrut dreamed he would lose his kingdom. Priests foretold that a child born that year would bring an end to idolatry, prompting Nemrut to order the deaths of all newborns and children in utero. Ibrahim survived and was born in a cave, where he lived until he was seven.
Today, dozens of hopeful petitioners gather at the entrance to Mevlid-i Halil Mağarası, known in English as Ibrahim’s Cave, within the Dergah Mosque Complex. Mevlid-i Halil translates as the Birth of Halil, Halil meaning “friend of God.” Men and women enter through separate doorways.
Women, in particular, are drawn here by hopes of conceiving a child or collecting water from a holy spring believed to have curative powers. The air is balmy and slightly damp; soft prayers fill the cave as women recite passages from the Koran and finger worry beads, while children are quietly shushed.
Outside, families pose for selfies or dress in colorful traditional Şanlıurfa garments at the Halil ür-Rahman pool, lined with elegant stone arches.
Rewriting history
Şanlıurfa’s hi