We were pleasantly surprised by Şanliurfa.
After a bit of an initial struggle finding the hotel, we headed straight out to explore the town.
We started in the bustling old Bazaar – which is all of five minutes from the Manici, at most.
We grabbed a little bite to eat in a local canteen before continuing to Gölbaşı area of the city – a lush green shady parkland peppered with mosques and carved up with canals running through it like veins.
The park and its sites are basically a symbolic re-creation of a legend surrounding a great Islamic prophet.
The Baliki Gol and Ayn-i Zeliha are large rectangular pools filled with supposedly sacred carp. Legend has it that anyone eating the fish will go blind.
To the north of the Balikli Gol is the elegant Rizvaniye Vakfi Cammii and Medressesi with its much photographed arcaded wall.
To the west there’s the Halilur Rahman Camii. The park’s littered with little tea bars and cafes making it a great place to get a bit of respite from the searing hot sun.
The Kale high up on the hill above the city is also worth a look, if only for the views.
When we went up the entire place was fenced off so we didn’t get to see inside, but we were glad we walked up for the views.