City
Haran
HAIR-an · Modern Harran, Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey · Also called Harran, Charran
Haran is a city of the biblical world, known today as Harran, Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey.
What is known
- Genesis 11:31-32 records that Terah, Abram, Lot, and Sarai settled in Haran on their journey from Ur, and Terah died there
- God's call to Abram to leave for Canaan (Genesis 12:1-4) came while he was in Haran
- Jacob later fled to Haran to stay with his uncle Laban, marrying Leah and Rachel there (Genesis 27-29)
- Haran shared its patron deity — the moon god Sin — with Ur, a detail scholars note ties the two cities culturally and religiously in Abraham's family background
- The site remains inhabited today and is known for its distinctive beehive-shaped mudbrick houses
History
- Founded
- Occupied since at least the early 2nd millennium BC (mentioned in Mari and Old Assyrian texts); flourished as a major trade and religious center through the Assyrian and Roman periods
- Industry
- Caravan trade crossroads linking Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and Syria; center of moon-god (Sin) worship in the ancient Near East
- Coordinates
- 36.8636° N, 39.0322° E
Rulers and powers
Archaeology
Excavations at Harran, Turkey have uncovered remains spanning from the Bronze Age through the Islamic period, including the ruins of the Ulu Cami (Great Mosque), one of the oldest mosques in Anatolia, built atop earlier occupation layers, and the city's famous beehive-domed mudbrick houses, a traditional building style still visible in the modern village.
Scripture references
- Genesis 11:31-32 — Terah's family settles in Haran
- Genesis 12:1-5 — Abram's call and departure from Haran
- Genesis 27:43 — Jacob sent to Haran to flee Esau
- Genesis 28:10 — Jacob journeys toward Haran
- Genesis 29:4-5 — Jacob meets Laban's household in Haran
- 2 Kings 19:12 — Haran referenced among conquered nations
- Ezekiel 27:23 — Haran listed among Tyre's trading partners
On a modern map
Further reading
Reflect
Abraham's family settled in Haran, halfway to where they were headed — where have you stopped halfway toward something you once felt called to?
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