Urfa lll-Vll. centuries

ABSTRACT PhD THESIS URFA IN m - VH. CENTURIES Şükran YAŞAR UNIVERSITY OF FIRAT SOCIAL SCIENS INSTITUTE History Departmant 2003; Page: Xffl+388 Edessa, established by Seleucoses, became a Roman Colony in the third century, after the period independent kingdom. Its strategik location and that it is located on the route of the main roads going from the East to the West and from the North to the South caused the city to become the most important military and trade center of the region during the Medieval Ages. Urfa, from another perspective, is a very important educational and cultural center where Eastern and Wastern cultures mtermingle. Physical, administrative, religious and social-economic structures of Edessa, which was a Roman Colony in the third and fourth centuries, were mainly researched by the chroniclers of the period. Its physical structure was examined via its city wall, castle, official building, wards, graveyards, ect. While researching its religous structure, paganism and Chistianity were examined thoroughly due to their special importance; a brief in formation was given about Judaism and Maniheizm. Administrative structure of the city, its administration units an bureaucracy were also examined properly. Socio-economic structure of the city was examined under two separate sub-titles: economical life and social life. Keywords:Urfa, Edessa, Abgar, Osrhoene