Abraham’s Path Accommodation and Practicalities

Share the Present

Present-day Urfa is home to a vibrant blend of Turkish, Arab and Kurdish peoples. Locals are proud to carry on Abraham’s spirit of openness to strangers, which they call “misafirperverlik” or hospitality. The path’s homestay accommodations invite you to witness that hospitality first-hand. You will experience daily life with local host families, share homegrown meals, and sleep on soft woolen beds under the stars.

At the same time, you will be directly helping local communities. All profits go directly to the families involved, while guest donations are channeled toward long-term, village-wide initiatives designed to bring about structural improvements in the spheres of health care, education and environment.

Accommodation is available approximately every 17km along Abraham’s Path and is mainly centred on home stays. The home stays vary from the fantastic mud brick houses of Harran to remote Kurdish smallholdings, where guests can learn how to milk sheep or make bread over an open fire. In some parts of the walk, alternative hotel accommodation is available.

Terrain and Itineraries

Urfa lies in the Euphrates basin, where the foothills of Anatolia give way to the vast Mesopotamian plains. The path consists of 170km, mostly through semi-arid plateaus under bright expanses of open sky. The best seasons to walk the trails are Spring (February – June) and autumn (late September – early December) when temperatures are mild and Göbekli Tepe is under excavation.

Upon arrival, all guests will be greeted by a local team who will provide a welcome meeting and brief orientation in a nearby village. Along the path, you’ll stay with local families in basic home-stay accommodations with home-cooked meals. In the city, opt for either a simple modern hotel, or a touch of Ottoman-inspired luxury. Design an itinerary that delivers the best of ancient history and contemporary culture, tailored to your interests and needs.

How to walk the Path

The Abraham’s Path Initiative welcomes enquiries from both individual visitors and groups. Each prospective walker will be put in touch with a local coordinator who will help organize accommodation and transport, and advise on different sections of the Path.

For more information on transportation, accommodation, and itineraries, contact alison@abrahamspath.org or see www.abrahampath.org