Skip to main content

Urfa – Gölbaşı Gardens

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

This article has been viewed 15196 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

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…
It was YOU – 2006 Person of the Year according to Time magazine. You – meaning user who contributes to the Internet. Homo Interneticus, in other words. You could even see your face in the glossy mirror surface on a magazine cover. And, here’s the tr…
The holy mystery called mercy embraces all beings. It is manifested in the most brilliant manner, particularly in the compassion of mothers. The mystery of mercy makes the mother's womb the first place for preparing an infant for their brief visit t…
Bennet Omalu[1] is a physician specialized as a forensic expert and pathologist, which means he examines the tissues and organs of dead people to determine their cause of death. One day, he was asked to prepare an autopsy report about the corpse of…
Loading...