Sanliurfa is a city of ancient traditions, old friendships and mystical associations. One of these traditions is gatherings known as 'Sira Geceleri', which bring together people sharing the same pleasures, world views and ideas. The friendships formed there are even stronger than the ties between old school or army friends. Such gatherings take place in one another's houses or in rooms hired for the occasion. The name means literally 'nights by turns', since the members of the group take it in turns to host these events, which have a ceremonial character and are based on a sense of fraternity. When the French occupied Sanliurfa after the First World War, the seeds of resistance were supposedly sown at sira geceleri held by the Group of 12, consisting of members of such leading families of the city as the Bozanogullari and Gullulogullari.
