Architecture / Historic street and neighborhood
Old Halfeti (Sunken Town)
Halfeti, Şanlıurfa
The most famous town on the Euphrates, partly submerged by the waters of the Birecik Dam, with its stone houses and boat tours.
Safety warning
Its story
Halfeti's origins go back to Şitamrat, founded in 855 BC by the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III; with the abandonment of Rumkale, the settlement moved to the opposite bank of the Euphrates. In the early 2000s, when the Birecik Dam began to hold water, the lower part of the old town was submerged under the lake, and the district center moved to Karaotlak. Stone houses built on the slope, narrow streets and the Ulu Mosque dated 1804–1807, whose base is submerged in the water, have today turned the town into an open-air museum. Boats departing from the pier run tours to Rumkale and to the sunken mosque of Savaşan village, whose minaret rises from the water. The town is also known for the dark-colored Halfeti black rose (Karagül), which grows only here.
Key facts
- Period
- Ottoman-period stone houses
- Admission
- Free (boat tour paid)
- Getting there
- ~120 km from Şanlıurfa, via Birecik
- Visit duration
- Half day
Trip purpose
- Free
- Photography
- Day trip
Location
37.24507, 37.86869
Where to eat nearby
No food & drink venues listed nearby.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors; Overture Maps
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Source: Web derlemesi (doğrulanmalı): https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halfeti | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halfeti | https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halfeti_Ulu_Camii | https://ci.turkpatent.gov.tr/cografi-isaretler/detay/924 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/7843146022