TURNIPSEED TRAVEL
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors

12,000 Years Of Struggle, Spirituality, and Sanctuary in Southeast Turkey

28/10/2015

 

Updated in 2022! Step inside Ryan's trip to the Southeast Turkish cities of Urfa and Mardin

Note: This visit was part of a sponsored press trip. This post contains affiliate links and ads.

Urfa Mardin Turkey: Two young women in bright blue headscarfs stand at a water pump
The southeast Turkish cities of Urfa and Mardin are full of colourful beauty.
It's unlikely that you're familiar with the southeastern Turkish cities of Urfa and Mardin. I'm ashamed to admit that we hadn't heard of them ourselves until a few weeks before Ryan visited the region. But like most of our readers, we had seen these cities dozens of time before on the news without really realizing it, for this part of Turkey is within a stone's throw of the Syrian and Iraqi borders. 

The tragic circumstances of its war torn neighbours have thrust Urfa and Mardin into the spotlight and it was with some trepidation that Ryan went to see the area for himself. What he discovered was a region that prides itself on old fashioned hospitality and tolerance, and extends a hand of welcome and generosity to all its guests.  

And to say the hospitality is old fashioned isn't just a cliche. This is one of the oldest inhabited regions on earth, the birthplace of agriculture. Once the home to Abraham and virtually every religious and ethnic group in history, it's now home to thousands and thousands of refugees seeking safety and sanctuary. 

So what was it like to step into a real life news story? Here's an insider's look at Ryan's visit.

Cold food generates a lot of heat.

Urfa Mardin Turkey
Ciğ köfte is a raw meat dish in Turkish cuisine, similar somewhat to steak tartare. It is traditionally made with either beef or lamb, and usually served as an appetizer. In Turkish çiğ means "raw" and köfte means "meat ball". 

According to lore, çiğ köfte was invented in Urfa at the time of Abraham. When King Nimrod collected all of the wood in Urfa in order to build a monumental execution pyre, the wife of a hunter had to prepare venison raw in the absence of firewood. She mixed the meat with bulgur (a type of wheat), herbs and spices and crushed the mixture with stone implements until it was palatable. Bulgur is kneaded with chopped onions, ice cubes and lemons until it gets soft. Then tomato and pepper paste, spices, and very finely ground beef are added. This fatless, raw, minced meat is treated with spices while kneading the mixture, which is said to "cook" the meat. Lastly, green onions, fresh mint and parsley are mixed in.

As you can imagine the kneading process is an exhaustive, labor intensive exercise and an assistant is on hand to mop the brow of the chef - and Ryan, who started to break out into a sweat after just a few minutes! 

If raw meat isn't your culinary preference, rest assured. The area has a fresh, colorful, delicious variety of dishes (included cooked ones!) that will suit most pallets. Keep your eyes peeled for delicious local cheese but beware of the hot peppers in the grilled vegetables. 
Urfa Mardin Turkey
Urfa Mardin Turkey
Urfa Mardin Turkey
Urfa Mardin Turkey
Urfa Mardin Turkey Roasted vegetables
Urfa Mardin Turkey
Urfa Mardin Turkey

12,000 years of human history

Urfa Mardin Turkey football
The recorded history of Şanlıurfa (better known as Urfa) dates from the 4th century BC (6000 years ago), but goes back at least 12,000 years.  The city was one of several in the upper Euphrates-Tigris basin, where agriculture began. 

Urfa was conquered repeatedly throughout history, and has been dominated by many civilizations, including the Ebla, Akkadians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Hittites, Armenians, Hurri-Mitannis, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Medes, Persians, Macedonians (under Alexander the Great), Seleucids, Arameans, Osrhoenes, Romans, Sassanids, Byzantines, and the Crusaders.  

For the Armenians, Urfa is considered a holy place since it is believed that the Armenian alphabet was invented there. According to Christian, Jewish, and Muslim tradition, Urfa is also the hometown of Abraham. Today, the region is a diverse, welcoming society. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

A land of spirituality and sanctuary

Picture
This region is rich in religious history. Legend says that when Abraham -who lived around 4000 years ago - denied the paganist divinity of Nimrod, the King of Urfa, and broke the icons which were adored by the citizens, Nimrod ordered the people to burn Abraham and help serve their pagan gods. 

They arranged and lit an enormously large fire at the site of Baliki Gol and threw Abraham from the mountain into the pyre. (This is the same event that motivated the creation of çiğ köfte!) God told the fire to be “cool and peaceful” towards Abraham, and, according to legend, the flames turned to water, and the logs into fish. Even today, the fish in this lake are considered holy by the citizens of all faiths and are not allowed to be caught or eaten. 

Spirituality and sanctuary are ongoing themes in this region. The oldest artifacts of religious construction in human history (12000+ years old) were found here (as seen above), and today the region is home to tens of thousands of refugees fleeing violence in the Middle East. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Memories that will last a lifetime

Picture
A trip to southeastern Turkey was an important reminder that there are beautiful landscapes and wonderful people in every corner of the world. It has changed the way we view the nightly news and reminded us that a region and its people are more than a headline. If you chose to visit for yourself, we're sure you will fall in love with the rich cultural history and amazing culinary traditions of Urfa and Mardin. It is truly an exceptional place.

As with all travel activities and destinations, you are solely responsible for your safety.  Before any trip, we always research our destination and review our government's travel advice and advisories. In doing so, we feel more comfortable and confident about our travel choices and the geo-political and socio-economic conditions we might encounter. This advice bears repeating for southeastern Turkey, given its proximity to a conflict zone. The Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders are two highly respected charities that are working hard to provide assistance and comfort to all those affected by the conflict and we encourage you to support them.

​
Traveling to Turkey? These articles are sure to inspire!

Ancient Ebru Painting in Istanbul
Day 7 of our Round the World Trip: Istanbul
From the Bosphorous to Bangkok
​
Holy Wisdom and Heavenly Food in Trabzon

Ryan's trip to Turkey was facilitated by Turkish Airlines and we thank them for their support. All research, writing, and opinions are our own.
Lois Alter Mark link
31/10/2015 10:58:31 am

Your pictures are wonderful. They so vividly tell the story of the people. I'd love to visit there.

Vanessa
2/11/2015 09:07:15 am

Thank you so much!

Karilyn link
31/10/2015 11:55:57 am

Lovely post! I would love to visit this area of Turkey. We have only been to istanbul, so still so much to explore!

Vanessa
2/11/2015 09:09:48 am

And Istanbul is so fascinating it's hard to pull yourself away.

Heather link
31/10/2015 12:50:03 pm

Such a great reminder that the conflict areas we keep hearing negative things about on the news are still real places, with real people and the beauty and humility of such areas as this shouldn't be overlooked. Great write up, wish more people wrote about experiences like this!

Vanessa
2/11/2015 09:11:49 am

That's exactly how we feel - there's no denying the horrors of the conflict in the surrounding area but there is still real people and real beauty and wonderful places to discover.

Rob link
31/10/2015 12:58:46 pm

We really enjoyed Turkey and plan to go back as there is so much to see and do in the country. We never made it to the southeast, maybe we will the next time we visit.

Vanessa
2/11/2015 09:12:26 am

We too have a long list of places we want to explore in Turkey.

Sarah link
1/11/2015 10:05:57 am

You are brave to explore an area dealing with absorbing migrants fleeing the turbulence in the Middle East. I appreciate that you approached the situation with caution, but also with openness to the culture, food, and people you'd encounter. I learned a lot reading your post and love that could tell us how the food you tried was connected to the religious tradition begun by Abraham. What a memorable story!

Vanessa
2/11/2015 09:15:29 am

We're so glad you enjoyed our piece. Every time we look at the pictures, we are reminded by what warm, wonderful people live in the area and the incredible history for all religions.

Jackie link
1/11/2015 11:03:23 am

Such a thoughtful post! I hardly ever watch the nightly news because there are only blips of negative events, leaving much of the fuller story untold. While there are many who won't travel to this part of the world because of the turmoil, I hope it serves as a reminder of the every day human element living alongside such violence and destruction.

Vanessa
2/11/2015 09:18:15 am

For us, it's made the conflict even more 'real' to us. Living on the other side of the world, it's easy to tune out the news but now that we've got a more personal connection to the region, we are forever reminded of the real people who are affected by the conflict.

Monica link
1/11/2015 02:04:56 pm

No, I've never heard about these places before.
This steak tartare sounds good, but it seems to be much more complicated to prepare than the tartare I know.
I've already heard from many people that easter Turkey is a fascinating place to visit.

Vanessa
2/11/2015 09:19:34 am

Ryan reports that it's much different from the French style of tartare - the acidity of the lemon has a 'cooking' effect on the meat and the texture is almost like a paste.

[email protected] link
1/11/2015 06:52:37 pm

Now that's what I call travel. I'd love to be able to visit somewhere like this, so ancient and exotic. I wonder how easy it would be for a solo female traveller?

Vanessa
2/11/2015 09:27:46 am

That's a good question. Ryan travelled there with a group so it's hard for him to assess what solo travel - for a man or woman -would be like. But he does report that everyone he met was warm, welcoming, and open minded. Dress for both men and women is modest and long, loose, light layers is very practical giving the intense heat.

I think the biggest thing to determine if there are any security concerns for the region when you are planning your trip. The conflict in the surrounding region is an ever changing concern and I think a trip of any kind would involved some comprehensive pre-trip research.

Beth Santos link
16/11/2015 11:52:15 am

Great post and beautiful pics! Brings me back to that amazing trip.

Vanessa
4/4/2016 09:35:02 am

I'm so glad you enjoyed it!


Comments are closed.
    Recent Posts
    Posts by Location
    Turnipseed Travel Category Canada
    Turnipseed Travel Category USA
    Turnipseed Travel Category Europe
    Turnipseed Travel Category Africa
    Turnipseed Travel Category Australia
    Turnipseed Travel Category Asia

    Post Categories

    All
    $200 Challenge
    200m Challenge
    Accommodation
    Africa
    Amsterdam
    Anti Adventurist
    Asia
    Australia
    Belgium
    Business Travel
    Camping
    Canada
    Central Counties
    Cozy Travel
    Destinations
    Europe
    Experiences & Activities
    Female Travel
    Food And Drink
    Gear And Packing
    Golf
    Greece
    Guest Posts & Interviews
    Health
    Inspiration
    Making Travel Memories
    Montreal
    Most Popular Posts
    National Parks
    Norfolk County
    Ontario
    Ottawa
    Paris
    Partners
    Pet Travel
    Photo Essay
    Preparation
    Press Trip Portfolio
    Reviews Accommodation
    Reviews Gear Packing
    Round The World
    Saving
    Toronto
    Transportation
    Travel Cooking
    Travel Memories Series
    UK & Ireland
    United States

    Posts by Date

    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

Disclaimers, Privacy, and Cookie Policy

Top 100 Travel Influencer
As named by the Obama White House in 2014.​
White House Study Abroad Logo 2014
Turnipseed Travel Logo 2019
DMCA.com Protection Status
© COPYRIGHT 2024.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors