Skip to main content

Urfa – Gölbaşı Gardens

Poem
| Ed Stevenson | Issue 153 (May - Jun 2023)

This article has been viewed 22724 times

Urfa – Gölbaşı Gardens

In This Article

  • Urfa, one of the ancient cities in Turkey, was heavily damaged by an unprecedented flood in March 2023. The Pool of Abraham (Balıklı Göl) and Gölbaşı gardens are believed to be the spot Prophet Abraham was thrown into fire but was saved when the fire was commanded to be “cool and peaceful” for him (Qur’an 21:69).

Friday afternoon, children squeal, play,
families stroll, sit at small tables
under sycamore trees, vendors beckon,
old men sit in shaded classrooms
of the old madrassah, sipping tea,
talking of the book or politics or business
or the things of which old men speak.
The sun warms the stones, minarets, mosque,
walkways, cliff-side, the fortress above.
Glistening green and gold, the storied fish,
(Nimrod's flames) roll slowly up, surface
to the food the children have thrown, ripple,
then curve back again into the darker green
of the pool's still waters –
a holiday, a holy day, a day of wholeness.

Urfa, one of the ancient cities in Turkey, was heavily damaged by an unprecedented flood in March 2023. The Pool of Abraham (Balıklı Göl) and Gölbaşı gardens are believed to be the spot Prophet Abraham was thrown into fire but was saved when the fire was commanded to be “cool and peaceful” for him (Qur’an 21:69).


More Coverage

The famous Greek physician Galen of Pergamon (129-200 CE) used to organize picnics and camps for himself and his patients on what is now called Kozak Plateau near Bergama in present-day Turkey, famous for its pine trees and nut pines. It is told tha…
Question: The need for affiliation and sense of belonging are human conditions, but they may sometimes overshadow charitable actions. What should believers do to engage in altruistic work with the intentions of only pleasing God and without seeking…
In the language of Sufism, farq (distinguishing) has been interpreted as making a clear distinction between unity and multiplicity. To give a longer and more explicit definition, distinguishing means the discernment of the created, despite having pe…
Think of a kitchen. This kitchen has a blender for blending, an oven for cooking, a fridge for cooling, utensils for eating, a dishwasher for cleaning, pans for frying, jars for storing, peelers for peeling, etc. It has a full line of tools, gadgets…