Routes

It is a route to take place entirely along the Euphrates after Sanliurfa city centre, Gobekli Tepe, Harran and its surroundings, Viransehir and its surroundings. Located right on the side of the Euphrates, Birecik is such a paradise with its history, culture, wildlife and delicious food. In this city, you can enjoy the Euphrates river to the fullest. If you come early in the morning, do not forget to eat chickpea sandwich. It is a super Birecik breakfast in which chickpeas cooked in a pan in a wood oven are wrapped with various spices and peppers and enjoyed. Do not leave Birecik without eating eggplant kebab, especially if you are visiting during the summer months. The eggplants that grow in the region called Mezra in the south of Birecik and are harvested at the beginning of July are the most delicious eggplants that you can never get enough of. If you have any room left, do not forget to eat knafeh with ice cream in Birecik. In order to burn this much food, we strongly recommend that you take the city route through the old streets of Birecik and especially see the Urfa gate.
Zeugma Archaeological Site, where the mosaics in Gaziantep Zeugma Archaeological Museum were unearthed, is the next destination of our route. To reach there, you should cross the bridge, which is the first bridge over the Euphrates and was built in 1956, to get to the western shore of the Euphrates. Although a large part of Zeugma Ruins is under the Birecik Dam Waters, you can see the Roman villas and newly excavated areas, and if you visit during the excavation season, you can get valuable information from the excavation team. Since Zeugma is on the land and water trade routes on the Euphrates, it is a city like Hong Kong in ancient ages and is quite rich. To the city which was founded by the Seleucids and was named Seleukos ad Euphrates (Silifke on the Euphrates), the Romans have given the name Zeugma, which means bridge.
The next destination of the route is the Bald Ibis Production Station, which is also on the eastern side of the Euphrates and on the Halfeti road. This is the place where you can see the last 205 bald ibises left on earth. You can get valuable information about bald ibis from Mustafa Culcuoglu, the volunteer guide of the station, and have a cold drink and rest in the tent cafe right in front of the station.
The last stop of the route is the sunken city Halfeti and its villages, most of which was flooded by the Birecik dam in 1998. From here, you can go to Rumkale on the dam lake and back with boat tours. Again, Halfeti and its surroundings provide ideal environments and species for birdwatching, especially in the spring months. It is recommended to bargain for the boat tour.

Category:
City
Duration:
5 Days
Destinations:
-Sanliurfa City Center and Gobekli Tepe
-Harran and around
-Viransehir and around
-Birecik
-Zeugma Archaeological Site
-Halfeti
-Rumkale
What to eat and drink?
-Chickpea Sandwich
-Knafeh
-Shabout fish
-Eggplant kebab (in the summer months)
-Tirit
-Liver kebab
-Keme kebab (April-May)
-Urfa (plain) kebab
-Chicken and meat cubes with or without seasoning
-Sillik
-Mirra
What to buy?
-Bald ibis souvenirs and t-shirts
-Isot Pepper
-Plain oil
-Pistachio
-Copper wares
-Felt
-Loom Clothes
-Sheep Leather Fur/Vest
-Carpet
-Rug
Must Do
-Enjoy Tigris River from the observation terrace at Birecik.
-Eat eggplant kebab and knafeh at Birecik.
-Search for striated scops owl between the willow trees at central Birecik.
-Walk the Birecik City Route and visit Urfa Kapi.
-Visit Waldrap Production Station and obtain information.
-See the Roman villas at Zeugma,where the biggests mosaics of the world are found.
-Take a boat tour from Halfeti to Rumkale.
-Observe the birds at Halfeti.