Aslan Guest House (Urfa)

This guesthouse welcomes backpackers, and is set in an elegant nineteenth century Armenian craftsman built house. A variety of dorm style and private rooms are available around a central courtyard and fountain, which is typical of Middle Eastern architecture. All rooms have A/C. The ''suite'' has a double bed in the bedroom and mattresses in the main room that could easily sleep another four people. (Ideal, if you are traveling in a small group. Negotiate a price and have a nice party. The A/C is very effective. Beds are a mixture of eastern style floor bedding and western style ''''divan'''' beds. Low cost pick-ups can be arranged from the bus station or the airport. The owner wants to upgrade his guest house, so all sorts of accommodation will be available. Make sure you get the prices right ''before'' you book! One of the more popular guide books on our planet quotes the prices in lıra rather than in euro. This can be difficult to sort out when you check out. The owner will gladly arrange a taxi ride to the bus station for you which will cost you about 20 TL. The bus stop for minibuses is, however, only 10 minutes away and the ride to the bus station costs you 1 TL. The cushions in dorms are full of dust as well as the carpets. People staying in a dorm share only one bathroom which can be a problem in busy times. The school which is across the street is really noisy and you can be sure it will wake you up every morning around 7. But on the other hand you can see into the school courtyard from one of the dorm rooms and watch the kids running around. The owner might try to overcharge you (for example, asking for 25 TL for a dorm bed, saying the prices have changed, whereas it''s normally 20 TL). Even if this place is recommended in some guide books, it might be nicer to try something on your own. The owner offers tours to Mt. Nemrut, Harran and Göbekli Tepe. In case of Göbekli Tepe he may sell himself as a guide, which is really not worth the money. A four person tour may cost 120 TL. He has been known to initially ask for more than 200TL. Try getting a taxi or a better tour.