Quick facts
Şanlıurfa overview
Şanlıurfa (orange) and the other large cities of Turkey
Şanlıurfa lies in Turkey at 37.17°N, 38.79°E, about 528 m above sea level. The local time zone is Europe/Istanbul (UTC+3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Batman (452,157) and larger than Elazığ (443,363). The largest city in Turkey is Istanbul with 15,701,602 people; the capital, Ankara, has 3,517,182.
The national capital, Ankara, is about 600 km away; the nearest large city is Suruç, 39 km from Şanlıurfa.
Turkey as a whole has a live population of 88,006,552 (+0.3% a year) and ranks #18 of 238 countries — see the Turkey population page for the full statistics and the Turkey atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Şanlıurfa
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Suruç Şanlıurfa | 39 km | 101,178 |
| Siverek Şanlıurfa | 80 km | 175,341 |
| Adıyaman Adıyaman Province | 81 km | 290,883 |
| Viranşehir Şanlıurfa | 85 km | 154,163 |
| Gaziantep Gaziantep | 126 km | 2,222,415 |
| Malatya Malatya | 138 km | 750,491 |
| Diyarbakır Diyarbakır Province | 150 km | 1,833,684 |
| Kilis Kilis | 157 km | 111,648 |
Largest cities in Turkey
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Şanlıurfa?
Şanlıurfa has about 449,549 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Şanlıurfa the capital of Turkey?
No. The capital of Turkey is Ankara (3,517,182 people), about 600 km away. Şanlıurfa is the 17th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Şanlıurfa compared with the rest of Turkey?
Its 449,549 residents are 0.5% of the 88,006,552 people living in Turkey today. Istanbul is larger with 15,701,602 people.
Where is Şanlıurfa?
In Turkey, at latitude 37.17 and longitude 38.79, 528 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Suruç (39 km), Siverek (80 km), Adıyaman (81 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Şanlıurfa Population 2026 — Turkey. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/turkey/sanliurfa/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/turkey/sanliurfa/">Şanlıurfa Population 2026 — Turkey</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.