The Birthplace of Abraham

The columns from which Abraham was thrown
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Saliufra is the city of the Prophets,  ancient by the time of Jesus.  There are numerous pilgrams from all over the Middle East visiting this home of several Muslim holy men.  Most famous as the birthplace of Abraham.  The cave of his birth is a pilgrimage site for Jews, Muslims and Christians.  There are separate sections for women and men to enter and when inside there is a water tap which dispenses healing waters. After annointing myself the group of us went to the Bazaar.

Holy fish lake Batman! -No, Batman is a town down the road.
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On the way we walked through a lovely city park that is framed by a hill on one side on which sits a citadel on which sits two tall columns.  The story goes that Abe was tossed off the towers by an evil king into a woodpile of flames.  God changed the fire to water and the wood to fish and today a holy pool flows full of sacred fish on the opposite side of the park.

Much more a true local marketplace than the Grand in Istanbul, this bazaar had meat shops, housewares, jewelers, and about everything else under its eaves.  In the center there is a courtyard where men drink tea and play backgammon.  Young boys try to sell you very used sandals.  On the upper level tailors are busy making suits to sell downstairs.

Drinking the healing waters in the cave of Abraham
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On the street you see women both in the most traditional of clothing and also in the fashionable more form fitting long coats and headscarves of young Muslim adherants.

We dropped Carolyn at a bus stop for the coast and then drove off to within 10 KM of the Syrian border to a town called Harran.  Harran is noted for its beehive shaped homes.  The people are mostly Arab.  We were immediately assaulted by a group of ragamuffins offering grubby trinkets and big smiles.  Women look positively Biblical bringing in their goats.

A view of the bazaar
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As the sun lowers we climb through a fortress from the 11th century which is my ideal of a mideaval fortress.  Crenelated walls and turrets with spiral stone staircases.

By the time we return to Saliufra and eat we are all ready for bedtime but it it not so easy.  The tour company forgot to make our reservation at a hotel.  The city is crowded with families visiting soldiers on leave from a nearby army base.  No room at the inn.  We are rejected three places before Sheriff coughs up enough extra cash to get us all into a hotel where Al who has bad health and insists on his own room finally excepts the driver to stay with him and not me as I have a cold.