Fodor's Expert Review Gölbaşı Parkı

The park is a shady oasis on hot days or summer evenings, and is home to the famed carp pools. According to legend, King Nimrod, angry at Abraham's condemnation of the king's Assyrian polytheism, set about immolating the patriarch. God awakened natural springs, dousing the fire and saving Abraham. The carp, according to the myth, are an incarnation of the wood from Abraham's pyre. While historically the story might not, well, hold water—they are probably part of a pre-Christian fish shrine—the gorgeous springs remain. The place has a serene and distinctly spiritual feel to it, with groups of visiting pilgrims and families from Turkey and neighboring countries strolling about and feeding what are probably the most pampered fish in the world. Look for the Byzantine era bell tower beside the lake.