Edessa (aka Urfa)

What is so important about this city?  It is famous for being the alleged birthplace of Abraham.  He was born in a cave and then raised by wolves and later in life was being persecuted for believing in a single God, so was flung into a huge fire.  Supposedly, when he landed in the fire, it turned into water and the wood into carp - this pool with the sacred carp remains in the center of the city.

Right outside the alleged birth place cave of Abraham:

Walking towards the sacred pool:

The sacred pool:

The carp:

We also went to Harran, which also has a long history which includes being the site of the oldest Islamic University.  You can see it in the background of this photo:

Harran is also famous for their beehive shaped houses.  The ones in this photo are hundreds of years old.

On the Euphrates: