Şanlıurfa Province · Turkey
Şanlıurfa travel guide
Şanlıurfa is a city in Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey, home to about 1,986,000 people.
- Best months
- April, May, October and November
- Nearest airport
- GNY33 km · Şanlıurfa GAP Airport
- Currency
- TRYTurkish lira
- Time zone
- Europe/Istanbul
- Language
- Turkish
About
About Şanlıurfa
Urfa, officially called Şanlıurfa, is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of Şanlıurfa Province. Urfa is situated on a plain about 80 km (50 mi) east of the Euphrates.
In 1984, Urfa was renamed Şanlıurfa ("Glorious Urfa"), due to its resistance to the invading French troops after the Ottoman Empire lost World War I. This is how it is shown on maps and highway signs. Şanlıurfa is usually abbreviated to Ş.Urfa on non-official signs, such as those on buses or restaurants. However, colloquially and locally the city is still almost always called Urfa. Like most of Southeastern Turkey, Urfa's climate is semi-arid and subcontinental; extremely hot and dry summers, cool to chilly, occasionally rainy, and sporadically snowy winters.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Şanlıurfa
See
Most attractions are within a small area and if you get accommodation nearby you can do everything on foot, including catching a bus to Göbekli Tepe. You could visit the museum in the morning and then take the 13:45 bus 0 to Göbekli Tepe and return around 16:30. Ask the museum about possible timetable changes and where to catch the bus. However Göbekli Tepe is sometimes crowded in the afternoon.
- Göbekli Tepe
- Şanlıurfa Archaeology and Mosaic Museum
- Necropolis
- Cave of Abraham
- Şanlıurfa Castle
Do
Join the locals and make a wish while feeding the holy fishes at the pond. According to the local belief, if you happen to feed one of the obviously rare white fishes, your wish will come true in a short time. Fish food, which is available from numerous vendors around the pond, is regulated by the local environmental association—it's highly discouraged to use anything other than the designated feed. Have a Narghile (hookah) at the lake in the park near the mosques.
- Abraham's Path
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Şanlıurfa
1 hotel within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Ugur | 0.1 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Şanlıurfa
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Şanlıurfa are April, May, October and November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 39 °C; January is the wettest, with about 86 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Şanlıurfa: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Şanlıurfa GAP Airport (GNY), about 33 km from the city centre in a straight line; Adıyaman Airport (ADF, 70 km) and Gaziantep Oğuzeli International Airport (GZT, 119 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Coaches connect from most big and regional cities, such as Gaziantep to the west and Mardin to the east (both routes take around 4 hours). Some hotels provide free transfer to the city center, otherwise exit the coach station (otogar) and take any bus running to the left that goes to "belediye", which takes about half an hour. From here either take bus R1 or walk down Ataturk Blvd to the Bazaar. There are multiple flights a day from Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir by Turkish Airlines or Pegasus.
Getting around
The city has a network of minibus lines, although all sights are located in the easily walkable compact old town.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
GNY · Şanlıurfa GAP Airport
ADF · Adıyaman Airport
GZT · Gaziantep Oğuzeli International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Şanlıurfa
Eat
Be careful with food hygiene in summer as very many people suffer stomach trouble in Urfa. Suspects include the water, the ice cream and the kebabs. The çiğ köfte or raw kebabs are famous. In winter they are made with raw mince meat; in summer with fried egg. Definitely one of the most delicious dishes of the area. Breakfast at the wonderful Zahter Kahvalti in Köprübasi Caddesi opposite the entrance of "Hotel Ipek Palace". Urfa is famous for local pistachio desserts. You can find different versions in every bakery in the city center.
Drink
As Urfa is a city of pilgrimage, beer or any other alcoholic beverage is near impossible to get. Drink shakes or freshly squeezed juice, or stick to Turkish or Arabian tea (which is sweeter or minted). The section of Urfa just over the Karakoyun River houses a few small, simple bars and the local Turkish beer Efes can be purchased to take away from a very few small shops in that area. The few small bars are humble affairs, frequented by men and playing local Kurdish and Turkish music. Drink "murra" in the Gümrük Han - this is a very strong 1/2 teaspoon-sized cup of coffee. It is not overly pleasant, but it is a local experience.
Stay safe
Urfa seems to be a very safe city. There is a police sentry box in the Balıklıgöl/Pool area where you can report any problems. However, according to the local youngsters, there may be dangerous substance abuse around the gate of the citadel on the hill after night falls, so better avoid hanging around the stairs leading there at night.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Şanlıurfa: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Şanlıurfa?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Şanlıurfa are April, May, October and November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 39 °C; January is the wettest, with about 86 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Şanlıurfa?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Şanlıurfa GAP Airport (GNY), about 33 km from the city centre in a straight line; Adıyaman Airport (ADF, 70 km) and Gaziantep Oğuzeli International Airport (GZT, 119 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Şanlıurfa?
Turkish lira (TRY).
Nearby
Destinations near Şanlıurfa
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.