The pool is situated within the grounds of the mosque complex of Halil-ur-Rahman, built by the Ayyubids in 1211 CE and now surrounded by the attractive Gölbaşı-gardens designed by architect Merih Karaaslan. A local legend says seeing a white fish will open the door to the heavens.

Balıklıgöl constitutes one of the most recognizable examples of sacred water architecture in Anatolia, uniting geological formation, engineered adaptation, and religious symbolism. Its spring-fed basin has remained a focal element in the topography of Şanlıurfa since antiquity, long before the Islamic period. The continuous flow of water ensures the stability of its micro-ecosystem and contributes to its reflective visual character, which has been emphasized in successive architectural interventions. The pool’s integration into an urban sacred landscape—flanked by mosque structures to the north and south—transforms it from a natural depression into a monumental centerpiece of religious geography. Despite restoration and conservation works in the modern era, the essential morphology and hydrological system of Balıklıgöl have remained intact, preserving both its natural integrity and its longstanding ritual use.

circa 2000 BCE

In Islamic tradition, Balıklıgöl is revered as the site of the miracle associated with the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim). According to narrative accounts, King Nimrod (Namrūd) ordered Abraham to be cast into a fire for rejecting idolatry and proclaiming monotheism. Divine intervention transformed the flames into cool water and the burning wood into fish, creating the pool and its population of sacred carp (Carasobarbus luteus), which are considered inviolable to this day. The sanctity of the fish, reinforced by centuries of oral and textual transmission, has made the pool a site of continuous pilgrimage and devotional practice. Feeding the fish is viewed as an act of piety and spiritual merit, while harming them is considered a serious transgression. The tradition extends to a nearby smaller pool, Ayn Zulaikha (Ayn Zeliha Gölü), associated with a companion or follower of Abraham, whose tears are said to have formed its waters. Together, these pools embody a mystical and mythical landscape in which natural water and divine intervention are fused into a single sacred topography.

circa 2000 BCE

Architecturally, the pool is defined by its elongated trapezoidal plan, contained by finely dressed limestone embankments that delineate its edges and control water retention. The basin’s shallow depth enhances visibility of the fish and maintains a stable thermal environment for aquatic life. The stone walls, rising slightly above the surrounding ground level, serve both as a boundary and as a stabilizing element, protecting the basin from erosion and maintaining its formal geometry. The water emerges from an artesian spring located at the pool’s southeastern edge and circulates gently through the basin before continuing toward adjacent channels that regulate overflow.

The pool is approximately 150 meters in length, 20 meters at its widest point, and covers an area of about 330 square meters. It assumes an irregular trapezoidal shape, reflecting the contours of the underlying terrain. Although originally a natural limnic formation, the pool has been architecturally formalized with stone embankments and walkways that stabilize its margins and define its sacred perimeter.

The pool’s margins are framed by paved walkways and landscaped terraces that mediate the relationship between the sacred water and the surrounding built environment. These walkways, constructed from local limestone slabs, are integrated into a system of retaining walls that provide access for visitors while maintaining the sanctity of the pool’s interior space. Small stone bridges and stepped platforms punctuate the perimeter, allowing for limited ritual interaction with the water without compromising the ecological or symbolic integrity of the basin. The pool’s masonry reflects both Ayyubid and Ottoman construction phases, with visible restoration lines and mortar compositions indicative of periodic maintenance across centuries.

Although enclosed within a complex of religious architecture, Balıklıgöl remains architecturally autonomous in its function and form. Its design is governed less by monumental ornamentation and more by a subtle balance between hydraulic engineering, natural morphology, and ritual utility. The enduring clarity of its water, the regularity of its containment structures, and the organic integration with its surroundings together affirm Balıklıgöl as one of the most refined surviving examples of sacred water architecture in the Near Eastern tradition.