Sanli Urfa

Sanli Urfa (in Turkish Şanlıurfa) is a city in eastern Turkey, about 80 kilometres east of the Euphrates river.

According to Muslim tradition it is the location of Ur, and the birthplace of Abraham is said to be at a mosque in the city. In ancient and medieval times it was called Edessa (for a more detailed history of the city, see that article). Under the Ottomans it was a centre of trade in cotton, leather, and jewellery. It still has ruins of its ancient walls and of an Arab castle. The population is about 275,000 (1990). There are 3 Catholic parishes, Syrian, Armenian, and Latin.