A scenic drive northeast brings you to Halfeti, a riverside town on a placid stretch of the Euphrates widened by the Birecik Dam. Part of the old town was submerged when the reservoir filled, and boat tours now glide over the sunken village, past a half-drowned minaret rising eerily from the green water. The same boats continue upriver to Rumkale, a dramatic ancient fortress perched where a tributary meets the Euphrates, its walls layered by Romans, Byzantines, Armenians, and others across two thousand years. Halfeti is also famous for its rare dark-crimson black rose, which locals say holds its true color only in this particular soil. The unhurried boat ride, dramatic cliffs, and mirror-still reflections make it one of the southeast's most memorable outings. Halfeti sits just inside neighboring Şanlıurfa province, so it is an easy add-on if you are continuing east toward Göbeklitepe and beyond.
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