Şanlıurfa has been named the 'Tourism City of the Year 2023' of the Islamic world

Şanlıurfa, one of Turkey's provinces, has been named "Tourism City of the Year 2023" at the 11th Tourism Ministers Conference of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. To celebrate this recognition by the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Şanlıurfa is hosting several events.

These include the International Halal Exhibition, the Symposium of Islamic World Scholars and the Symposium of Travel Books Uniting the Islamic World. Due to its status as a tourist city, Shanliurfa is expected to attract twice as many local and international tourists this year.

About Şanlıurfa: Often described as an open-air museum in southeastern Turkey, Şanlıurfa offers extraordinary historical, religious and archaeological discoveries. With a history dating back 12,000 years, Şanlıurfa attracts attention as the "first and oldest" city, embodying the traces of various religions, cultures and civilisations.

Sacred to many religions, the city is home to famous landmarks such as Balyklygol (Fish Lake) and Ain Zelih (Eye of Zelih). Gobeklitepe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Neolithic 'Stone Hills' area are also in Sanliurfa. The tranquil town of Halfeeti, known for its historic houses with 'Harran domes' and natural beauty, is also one of the attractions of this ancient town.

Şanlıurfa is also home to Turkey's largest museum complex, according to sources, Şanlıurfa is a city of museums. Turkey's largest museum complex, the Şanlıurfa Archaeological Museum, the largest Neolithic collection in the world, and the Haleplıbahçe Mosaic Museum, which houses a huge and magnificent Roman villa mosaic depicting the life of Achilles and the Amazons, take visitors on a journey through time with a chronological concept.