The Harran archaeological site is situated in the town of Harran, 44 km south of Şanlıurfa province. The city is located at the centre of the plain of the same name, situated at an ancient crossroad of the roads that run from south to north and from east to west. The name Harran means "road" in the Chaldean language. However, it is believed that the name originates from the founder "Haran", the uncle of the Prophet Abraham. The city has been the site of numerous civilisations, including the Assyrians, Hittites, New Babylonians, Medes, Persians, Hellenes, Romans, Emevis, Abbasids, Hamdanis, Numeyris, Seldjuks, Zengis and Ayyubids. In 1272, Harran was destroyed by the Mongols, and its people and wealth were taken to Mosul and Mardin. Harran served as the capital of the new Assyrian kingdom and the Umayyad state. The temple of the moon god Sin in Harran has lent a sanctity to the city throughout history. The Prophet Abraham, as mentioned in the holy books, lived in the city for a while with his family. Consequently, it is regarded as a sacred city in the Abrahamic religions. Notable figures from Harran include astronomers Sabit b. Kurra and el-Battani, religious scholar Şeyh-ül İslam ibni Teymiyye, and physician, philosopher, and mathematician İbrahim bin Zahrun. The city is encircled by an elliptical wall measuring approximately 4 km in length. Among the ruins of Harran that can be visited today are the Fortress-Palace, the Harran Ulu Mosque, the Harran Mound, the Conic Domed Houses, the Market Bath, the Eastern Market, the Vaulted Road Market, the Fountain Yard and the Musk Shop. The City Walls The city wall is approximately 4 km long, 8 m high and 1.50 m wide. The walls are composed of 187 square bastions at regular intervals, with a deep moat in front of them. There are six gates on the walls, namely Anadolu Gate, Aslanlı Gate, Baghdat Gate, Mosul Gate, Rakka Gate and Aleppo Gate. The standing inscription on the Aleppo Gate dates from 1192. The Internal Fortress - Palace The Inner Fortress is situated to the south-east of the city and has a quasi-rectangular ground plan with 11 towers at the corners. It is surrounded by a moat. The walls are 30 metres high. The palace has three floors with galleries, halls and rooms. The walls are constructed from ashlar masonry and brick is used in some sections, vaults and arches. The second floor of the fortress houses a mosque and a palace bath. On the south-eastern side, a gate with a relief of a dog can be found. Ibn Şaddad, Ibn el Varag and Dımaşki all mention in their writings that the fortress was previously a temple of the Sabians. It was transformed into a palace during the Zengis and Ayyubids by the construction of massive outer walls and polygonal towers with galleries around the perimeter of the palace. The Ulu Mosque The Harran Ulu Mosque, also known as the Paradise and Cuma Mosque, is located to the north-east of the Harran Mound. It is regarded as the first great mosque in Anatolia, boasting the richest stone engravings and the largest courtyard with fountains and porches in its time. Its eastern gate, shrine, courtyard gate, fountain and minaret are in good condition. The mosque is almost square in plan. The sanctuary comprises four naves extending along the wall of the sanctuary. It has a wide courtyard surrounded by six gates and porches and decorated with a fountain. The upper part of the square stone minaret is made of brick. Ibn Şeddad narrates that when Harran was conquered in 639, a mosque was built on the site of the Temple of the Moon. The mosque was rebuilt using stone by Mervan II. In the mid-12th century, Nureddin Mahmud Zengi permitted the construction of the third nave and Melik al Adil the fourth, thus completing the mosque's final form. The Arabic inscription on the east gate of the mosque dates from 1192. The Conic Dome Houses Beehive-shaped conical domed houses can be observed in the modern settlement of Harran. This type of mudbrick house has been favoured in the region since the Neolithic period. The conical domed houses of Harran, which are thought to have been constructed approximately two centuries ago, serve to create a cool space in the summer and a warm space in the winter. The houses can be enlarged by increasing the number of dome units, thus meeting the additional space requirements of the household.
HARRAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
