Şanlıurfa, formerly known as Edessa, is a city in southeastern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Şanlıurfa Province. Şanlıurfa is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
The city has been a religious and cultural center for many civilizations, including the Assyrians, Sumerians, Hurrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Seljuk Turks, and Ottomans.
Şanlıurfa is well known for its association with Abraham. According to Muslim tradition, Abraham was born in the city, and it is home to the sacred places where he is said to have been cast into a fire by Nimrod, and where he rescued his nephew Lot from captivity. The nearby Balıklıgöl (Turkish for "Lake of Fish") is said to be the location where Abraham was thrown into
