The ancient city of Harran is located in a land through which trade routes ran from Iskenderun to ancient Antioch and Kargam. It is mentioned in the Bible and in documents established in the Kingdom of Mari in northern Syria, and its importance lay not only in hosting early civilizations, but also in the place where it was founded The first Islamic university, the Harran Protected Area is characterized by traditional civil architecture and mud houses with unique conical roofs. It has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and today it serves as an open-air archaeological museum.