Haran (Harran), Turkey

"And he said, 'Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.' Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.'" (Acts 7:2-4).

Haran (also known as Harran) is located in the Sanlıurfa Province southeastern of Turkey, just 24 miles from the border with Syria. The city is located  near the river Balikh, a tributary of the Euphrates. The great patriarch Abraham lived in Haran and it was in this city that his father, Terah, died (Gen. 11:31-32).

"Abraham set out from Haran after receiving his call to travel to Canaan (Genesis 12:1-5). Jacob later traveled to Haran to find a wife (Genesis 27:43; 28:10; 29:4). Haran is closely associated with a place called Paddan Aram (Genesis 28:2-7; 31:18; 33:18; 35:9, 26; 46:15), which may be a term for the region surrounding the city. Haran was later incorporated into the Assyrian Empire, and was mentioned by Sennacherib in his threats against Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:12; Isaiah 37:12). The plain around Haran (known to the Romans as Carrhae) was the site of Crassus' defeat by the Parthians in 53 B.C." (The Accordance Bible Lands Photoguide).

We have high resolution photographs of Harran, Turkey avialble on this website.