Şanlıurfa, Turkey
Coordinates: 37.147745, 38.784529
Also knows as Pool of Abraham, Halil-Ur Rahman Lake, Balıklıgöl is a lake in the southwest of Şanlıurfa city center known in Jewish and Islamic traditions as the place where Nimrod threw the Prophet Abraham into a fire.
Balıklıgöl and neighbouring Aynzeliha lakes are among the most visited places in Şanlıurfa.
According to Islamic tradition, Hz. Ibrahim عليه اسلام was born in Urfa, and angered King Nimrod by opposing idolatry.
Nimrod sentenced Hz. Ibrahim عليه اسلام to death and built a pyre, but as Hz. Ibrahim عليه اسلام was thrown onto the fire, the flames turned into water and the logs into fish.
Hz. Ibrahim عليه اسلام supposedly fell onto the ground on the site of Halil-Ur Rahman lake.
The fire turned into a lake, and the embers into the fish.
The lake is in the courtyard of Halil-ur-Rahman Mosque.
The area is also known as the Pool of Abraham or the Pool of Sacred Fish, because of the belief that the fish are holy due to their connection to the story of Hz. Ibrahim عليه اسلام.
Visitors are encouraged to feed the fish, with local vendors nearby selling small bags of fish food.
Makam-ı Ibrahim Mosque and cave are situated to the South East of the lakes, and are also considered to be connected to the life of Hz. Ibrahim عليه اسلام, being the cave where Hz. Ibrahim عليه اسلام is said to have been born.
Sacred Fish
Swimming in the ponds are hundreds of sacred carp, which play a central role in the story of the Hz. Ibrahim عليه اسلام.
For believers, these are holy carp, and visitors here are encouraged to feed them. It’s said that anyone who kills one of the pool’s carp will go blind.
Site
The Sacred Fish Ponds (balikli göl) are surrounded by the beautiful Rizvaniye Vakfi Mosque and Medrese complex on their north side, and the Halilur Rahman Mosque to their west.
Great to walk around and see the locals at their leisure time feeding the fish and hanging out with their families.
The complex is very picturesque and everything is well maintained.
