Predating Stonehenge by 6000 years, Şanlıurfa’s Göbeklitepe upends the widely-held views on the rise of civilization.

With a history of 12,000 years, Şanlıurfa, thought by some to be the ancient city of Ur, proudly exhibits the legacy of all the civilisations that have prospered in the region. The city was originally called Urfa but later awarded the title "Şanlı", or "glorious", for the role it played during the Turkish War of Independence in the 1920s.

In ancient cities such as Harran and Soğmatar, history going back millennia was established through studies and excavations. Many other monuments of ancient civilisations, which have remained buried for thousands of years, are being brought to light one by one by archaeological workings throughout the city. Among them are the Neolithic Age settlements in Nevali-Çori in the county of Hilvan, the Chalcolithic Age settlement dating to 5000 BC in Kazane near the city centre and the artefacts dating from 10.000 BC in Biris cemetery in the county of Bozova. These studies have already proven the status of Şanlıurfa as a cradle of civilisations and the ongoing excavations will perhaps unveil historical facts that trail even further back in time.

Şanlıurfa, with its wealth of biblical associations, is known as the "Jerusalem of Anatolia" and regarded as a holy site by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. According to the Old Testament, the Prophet İbrahim (Abraham), "the father of three monotheistic religions", was born in the city of Ur and he, together with his family, migrated to Harran- the "home of the patriarchs".

In the lands of Şanlıurfa area was once a city of a Hurrite state in the second millennium BC. Some believe that Abraham was born in a cave near a place where the Mevlid Halil Mosque stands now. The site and the cave itself are, therefore, regarded as sacred.

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The remains of a castle with two Corinthian columns rising above the ruined walls stand atop a small crest. At the foot of the hills, the lovely Halil-ür Rahman Mosque is built around Balıklıgöl lake- the living space of the sacred carps. The 17th century Ottoman Rıdvaniye Mosque and the Fırfırlı Mosque, formerly the Church of the Apostles, are worth a detour. The Archaeology Museum, one of the best in Turkey, houses important Neolithic and Chalcolithic finds from the Lower Fırat Region. To capture the spirit of Şanlıurfa wander through the vaulted eastern bazaar and linger in the courtyards of the old hans (inns) and don’t forget to drop in Gümrük Hanı and Barutçu Hanı – the most interesting of the old hans!

The city is closely associated with the Balıklıgöl, which is actually made up of the Halil-ür Rahman and Ayn-ı Zeliha lakes. Right adjacent to these lakes stands the Rızvaniye Mosque. It is believed that King Nemrut cast the Prophet Abraham from the castle into the flames and God turns the fire into water and the woods into fish, hence the creation of the Halil-ür Rahman Lake. After falling in love with Prophet Abraham, Nemrut’s step-daughter Zeliha jumps into the fire which subsequently changes into the Ayn-ı Zeliha Lake.

Believed to be the ancient city of Haran mentioned in the Old Testament, Harran is today known more for its unusual beehive dwellings than as the place where Abraham the Prophet spent several years. It used to be known as Helenopolis that was burned and destroyed by Mongolian invaders in 1260. Included among the archaeological finds are those of the oldest Islamic university, city walls dating from the eighth century, four gates and a citadel.

Information Text on the Use of Your Personal Data

This Consent and Information Document (“Information Document”) regulates terms and conditions for use of the data notified by Users of services (“Patients”) and/or gained from Patients during delivery of Oba Tourism Organization Adversiment  and Publishing Limited Company (“Medithrace”) with headquarter at Ertuğrul Mah. Orduevi Cad. No 2 Süleymanpaşa -  Tekirdağ pursuant to Personal Data Protection Law (Nr. 6698)  activities performed to deliver services, including “Free-of-charge Second Opinion and Health Counseling” (“Services”) at contract partner hospitals (“Hospitals”) with details written below.
 
How is your medical history and health information obtained?

Your personal health details are derived from “your medical reports, details about medications you take, epicrisis, imaging studies, imaging reports and pathology reports” that you submit us and they are shared with or disclosed to partner hospitals in Turkey and their relevant personnel in order to create your treatment plan.

Which data is processed?
 
This article lists the data that is regarded as personal data in Personal Data Protection Law (Nr. 6698) and processed by Medithrace for the services delivered to patients. Unless otherwise is stated, “Personal Data” and “Data with Specific Quality (Sensitive”) shall have following meanings pursuant to terms and conditions of this Information Document. 

Hospital collects following data that are notified by Patients. 
 
●    Identity - Address Details: Name surname, identity number, gender, date of birth, business or personal e-mail, phone number, home address or business address that are written on relevant forms,
●    Health Evaluation Details: Your medical history, medical reports, details of medications you take, epicrisis, imaging studies, imaging reports and pathology reports.
●    Extra data: Other health and/or personal information that is required for service delivery and not covered in above written data classes. 

Pursuant to Articles 3 and 7 of Personal Data Protection Law (Nr. 6698) and regulations to be issued by the Committee, personal data or sensitive data shall not cover the data that is anonymized by deleting your identity details in an irreversible manner and terms and conditions of this Information Document, hereby, shall not apply to such data. 

Why do we use your data?

Your data is shared with or disclosed to physicians, healthcare staff and other relevant hospital personnel to help our firm provide you with “free-of-charge second opinion” service that is rendered in relation with your probable treatment. Thus, they are used to have contract hospitals create a complete treatment plan and submit estimated cost.

Hospitals may process the personal data notified by the Patient and the new data derived by the Hospital from the personal data in order to help the Patient use the Services, deliver the Services, fulfill the intended use of the personal data specified in this Information Document, fulfill the liabilities arising out of the content of Services and meet any and all legal obligations.

In addition, the Hospital may process the personal data and disclose them to third parties without any need to consent of the Patient pursuant to Articles 5, 6 and 8 of Personal Data Protection Law (Nr. 6698) and/or in the presence of exemptions in the relevant legislation.

Allowed Disclosures
 
Medithrace shall be entitled to disclose the personal data notified by the Patient and the new data derived by the hospital from the personal data in order to render the Services, improve the patient experience, improve Services and achieve any one of the goals specified under the section “Why do we use your data?” of this Information Policy.

Your personal, clinical and genetic data collected pursuant to this Information Document, hereby, shall be processed in line with the provisions written in this document and the provisions and security measures dictated by relevant legislation of the country, where the data is stored and/or processed.

Your Right to Access Your Data and Your Correction Requests

 The patient shall have the following rights by applying to Medithrace;

●    Learning if the personal data is processed or how it is processed,
●    Requesting relevant information, if personal data is processed,
●    Learning the intent of processing personal data and whether they are used in line with the intention, 
●    Learning local and international third parties who are shared the personal data,
●    Requesting correction, if personal data is processes incompletely or incorrectly,
●    Requesting correction, deletion or disposal of the personal data in line with the provisions set by relevant legislation; requesting notification of the correction, deletion or disposal to third parties that are transferred the personal data,
●    Raising an objection to a negative outcome arising out of analyzing the data exclusively with automated systems,
●    Requesting compensation of loss and damage that arises out of illegal processing of personal data. 

The patient may post the request in writing to Ertuğrul Mah. Orduevi Cad. No: 2 Süleymanpaşa -  Tekirdağ or e-mail the request letter to info@medithrace.com. Medithrace shall issue and transfer the positive or negative response in writing or electronically pursuant to the above mentioned requests, provided the grounds of negative response are notified. The Patient undertakes that the details subject to this Information Policy are complete, correct and up-to-date and that they will be immediately updated in case of any change Medithrace shall assume no responsibility, if up-to-date information is not notified by the Patient.

Duration of Storage for Personal Data


Medithrace shall store the personal data notified by the Patient for the interval that the Services are actually delivered in order to fulfill liabilities set in this Information Policy, hereby, and arise out of the content of Services to help the Patient use the Services.

Our Measures and Commitments for Data Security

Pursuant to provisions set by relevant legislation or mentioned in this Information Policy, Medithrace commits to take necessary technical and administrative measures to ensure appropriate level of security in order to prevent illegal access to the personal data and/or illegal data processing.
Possible Changes in Information Policy
Medithrace shall be entitled to amend provisions of this Information Policy at any time, provided the amended policy is accessible at the Web Site, www.medithrace.com. The amendments made in the Information Policy by Medithrace shall be put into force immediately after the amended provisions are publicized.

By signing the declaration and consent document, I agree and state that I received the information and consent document, I read and understood the content and my personal data is processed, used and disclosed to third parties if necessary for my potential treatment.

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