Turkey: Harran
40km south of Sanliurfa lies the dusty border town of Harran (Syria is just around the corner here). In the ancient times it was known as Hellenopolis and there are some archeological remains here – city walls and a ruined citadel. But Harran is much more famous for its traditional beehive adobe clay houses, constructed without any wood. The houses have holes in the ceiling for ventilation and the design and structure allow for cooling and ventilation and houses like these had existed for over 3,000 years, but they are no longer used for living in (most locals live a couple kilometers away in new housing). The houses are very picturesque and definitely unique, but nowadays they are a tourist trap – locals nearly assault you with barrage of offers to extract your money.
