Site where Prophet Ebrahim (upon him be peace) was thrown into the fire

This site in Urfa, Turkey is believed to be the

place where Ebrahim (upon him be peace) was

thrown into the fire by Namrud (Nimrod) for

refusing to submit to the worshipping of idols.

Close by is a cave where he is said to have been

born. Urfa was formerly known as Edessa and

was the setting for several battles during the

Crusades.

Note that this incident and the birth of Ebrahim

(upon him be peace) is also claimed to be in

Ur, in southern Iraq.

Reference: Wikipedia

Article from turkishtravelblog.com/pool-abraham-balikli-gol-sanliurfa-urfa/

The Pool of Abraham : Balikli Göl in Sanliurfa



Sanliurfa is one of my favorite cities in Turkey,

even though I originally went there for one reason

only.

That was to see the pool of Abraham, known as

Balikli Göl in Turkish. As a major landmark of the

region , it is visited by many Turks as well as

foreign tourists.

What is the Pool of Abraham aka Balikli Göl?

This pool is believed by Muslims to be the place

where Abraham was thrown into the fire by

Nimrod. Abraham is mentioned in three major

religions, Christianity, Islam and Judaism but in

Islam, he is called Ibrahim.

The pool is a special place for practicing Muslims

because of the importance of Ibrahim. He was the

same prophet who was prepared to sacrifice his

son for Allah .

The story says that when Ibrahim landed in the

fire, Allah turned the flames to water and the

burning logs into fish, hence the translation of the

Turkish name into “lake of fish”.

Since Abraham / Ibrahim is also a prominent

figure of Christianity, the pool is on the agenda of

most Christian tours throughout Turkey.

The Fish of Balikli Göl

Forget any thoughts about fishing because the

carp fish are considered sacred. Due to their

protected status, it is no surprise that

reproduction now means there are hundreds of

them in Balikli Göl and the nearby Ayn Zeliha

Lake.

Every visitor is encouraged to feed the fish so I

purchased a few bags of fish food from one of the

vendors. Within minutes all food had gone. When

it was thrown into the water, there was a frenzy

of fish, splashing around to compete for their next

meal.

All the fish were dark grey or black but one local

said there is also white carp fish and if you see

one of them, it is a sign that you are truly blessed

in life.

He also said the only time they have been

spotted was in the early hours of the morning.

During daylight, they just disappear.

How to get to Balikli Göl

The pool is in the old town of Sanliurfa and I was

pleased to discover I had booked a hotel

immediately opposite the park where the pool is

located. I had allocated a full afternoon to spend

at the pool but an hour was enough. See the map

below for directions.

From the entrance of the park, there is a fifty

meter walk past a mosque before you enter under

the archway to the pool. It is a long oblong

construction and also includes the Halilurrahman

mosque on its premises.

The architecture seemed typical Middle Eastern

with decorative archways, three domes and a

mosque minaret but I do wish there was an

English speaking guide who could have told me

more about the surrounding buildings.

There is no entrance fee so that leaves you free

to spend all your money on fish food!