This is the birthplace of Abraham. This is a bit surprising, as we thought Abraham was born in Ur, Chaldea, according to Genesis. But Urfa is associated by the Islamists with the Old Testament Ur and is today an Islamic place of pilgrimage.
The Halil Rahman Mosque complex includes the Pond of Abraham with sacred and inviolable carp. Legend has it that God saved Abraham, who was about to be burnt on a funeral pyre. He turned the fire into water and the embers became carp.
