Şanlıurfa, Turkey
Coordinates: 37.146628, 38.786855
The Cave of prophet Ibrahim is believed to be the place, where prophet Ibrahim was born.
It is accepted by the public that the water coming out of the Mevlid-i Halil Cave is the most healing water after Zam Zam.
According to the tradition,his mother gave birth in a cave
One story says that there was a prophecy given from an oracle that a boy would be born in Sanliurfa who would kill the king, therefore the king demanded that every baby boy be killed.
Mother of Hz. Ibrahim عليه اسلام hid him in the cave for seven years, because the evil king Nimrod wanted to kill all newborn males who could threaten his reign, topple him from his throne, and change the Pagan religion of the time.
It is accepted by the public that the water coming out of the Mevlid-i Halil Cave is the most healing water after Zam Zam.
This site is sacred for people of all three Religion.
There is a glass partition which gives a view of the inner cave. The cave is within the compound of the beautiful Mevlid-I Halil Mosque which has many other fascinating stories and legends attached to the site.
The cave has separate spaces for men and women and you are able to drink from the healing waters inside.
Next to the cave entrance is a new and much larger mosque to handle large numbers of visitors.
A small separate entrance remains at the old mosque with women on the left and men on the right.
Two Places Claims to be the Birthplace of Hz. Ibrahim عليه اسلام
The birth place of Hz. Ibrahim عليه اسلام mentioned in the biblicale texts goes by the name Ur of the Chaldees or Ur Kasdim.
First Location
In 1862, Henry Rawlinson identified Ur Kasdim with Tell el-Muqayyar near Nasiriyah commonly knows as Ur in southern Iraq.
In 1927, Leonard Woolley excavated the site and identified it as a Sumerian archaeological site where the Chaldeans were to settle around the 9th century BCE.
Second Location
Second most prominent location, traditionally thought to be Hz. Ibrahim’s عليه اسلام birthplace are in the vicinity of the city of Urfa (Şanlıurfa) in modern south eastern Turkey.
Traditional Jewish and Muslim authorities, such as Maimonides and Josephus have stated the city of Urfa to be ancient Ur of the Chaldees.
Know This
Don’t forget to take a headscarf and dress modestly. There were headscarves at the entrance for non-Islamic visitors. Its entrance is FREE
The entrance is inside a courtyard of a mosque.
It appears to be open all hours even when the mosques are locked.
It’s best to visit on weekdays in the morning otherwise it can become quite congested and crowded.
