City
in southeastern Turkey with 390,000 inhabitants (2004 estimate), lying
on a fertile plain with mountains on three sides. It is the capital of
Sanliurfa province with 1.5 million inhabitants (2004 estimate).
The economy
is based on trade of agricultural and livestock products of the
surrounding region. The main products for exports are butter and wool.
The city is
linked by main roads with Gaziantep 150 km west, Mardin 250 km east,
Diyarbakir 250 km northeast and Syria 75 km south.
The main
landmark of Sanliurfa is the ancient citadel situated on one of the
hills overlooking the town. Parts of the old city walls still stand, as
well as parts of the flood-prevention works built in the 6th century.
Muslim sights include the 17th century madrasa and the mosque of Abd
ar-Rahman.
Sanliurfa's
millennia old importance comes from its position of controlling a
strategic pass for trade routes between Anatolia and northern
Mesopotamia.
A large part
of the population of Sanliurfa are Kurds, and there is a sizeable
minority of Arabs.
HISTORY
Sanliurfa
has been settled for millenniums, and its first recorded name was from
Aramaic, Urhai.
3rd century BCE: Urhai is made into a military settlement and
renamed Edessa.
150 CE: Christianity is introduced in Edessa, and gradually one
of the most important bishop seats of Syria would develop here.
638: Comes under control of the Muslim Arabs.
1098: Captured by the Christian Crusaders.
1147: Sacked by Ottoman troops.
15th century: Renamed Urfa.
1637: Comes under control of the Ottoman Empire.
1830's: Comes briefly under the control of the Egyptian governor
Muhammad Ali Pasha.
Date the website was last modified:
11/04/2004
