Konya

Konya, Turkey

The turquoise dome of the Mevlana Museum in Konya glows in low golden sunlight at the end of a courtyard path.

Konya is where Rumi's tomb, Seljuk tilework and the whirling dervishes meet on the wide Anatolian steppe, far from Turkey's beach crowds.

The place

Konya sits on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, about 1,019 m above sea level, in a landscape of dry steppe and wheat fields rather than coast or mountains. The city holds about 2.2 million people, so it is a large, busy provincial capital with trams, a high-speed rail link and sprawling modern suburbs. The old centre still has a distinct character: Seljuk brick and tilework stand beside Ottoman mosques and ordinary shopping streets, and the call to prayer shapes the day more audibly than it does on the Aegean or Mediterranean coast. Most visitors come for Rumi, the poet and teacher whose tomb draws pilgrims from across the Muslim world, and for the Mevlevi tradition of whirling. The city repays a slower look, though. There is a small museum of Seljuk tiles, an archaeology museum with carved Roman sarcophagi and finds from Çatalhöyük, and tea gardens that fill up in the evening. The main sights lie within a short walk or tram ride of one another, which makes Konya easy to see in a couple of days. Summers are dry, bright and warm, with cool nights, while winters are properly cold. The mood is more devout and less geared to tourists than Istanbul: English signs are fewer, some eateries close early, and alcohol is not on every menu. Konya also works well as a stop between Cappadocia and the Mediterranean coast.

Its story

Konya has been lived in since the third millennium BC, and excavations show settlement by the Late Copper Age. Over the centuries the site passed between Hittites, Phrygians, Greeks, Persians and Romans, and in those eras it was called Iconium. Xenophon described it as the last city of Phrygia. The facts record a founding date of 700 BCE, and the place was a stop on routes crossing the plateau long before it became a capital. Its great moment came after the Seljuk Turks took the region in the eleventh century. They made Konya the seat of the Sultanate of Rum, and the city grew wealthy as a centre of building, learning and trade. The medresas, mosques and tiled halls that visitors see today largely come from that period. Rumi settled here, and after his death his followers organised the Mevlevi order around his memory. When Seljuk power faded, the Karamanids held Konya for a time, and then the Ottoman Empire absorbed it in the fifteenth century. The city lost its role as a royal capital but kept its religious weight, and the Mevlevi lodges remained active for centuries. After the Turkish War of Independence, Konya became part of the Republic of Turkey. Today it is both a provincial industrial and farming centre and a pilgrimage destination, with layers of history that are easy to read in its museums.

What to see

Culture

Konya is generally regarded as a devout, traditional city, and the public mood shows it: families dress modestly, mosques are busy at prayer times, and the weekly rhythm follows religious life more than nightlife. It was Rumi's last home, and his turquoise-domed tomb is the city's main draw. In 1273 his followers founded the Mevlevi Sufi order, known abroad as the whirling dervishes. The sema ceremony, with its turning dancers, long music and prayer, is understood by the order as a spiritual practice, not a show. On Saturdays there are performances at the Mevlana Cultural Centre, and these are held as genuine ceremonies rather than the staged versions found in some tourist districts. Konya also has a rich tradition of craft: intricately patterned local rugs were sent to Europe in the Renaissance era, where owners used them to display their wealth. Hospitality matters here, so tea is offered easily and conversations start readily, especially if a visitor shows interest in Rumi's poetry. The poet's themes of love, tolerance and openness are quoted everywhere, from museum walls to shop signs. Pilgrims from Turkey and abroad visit the tomb, so the atmosphere around it can be reverent rather than casual. Sit quietly through a sema without applauding or taking photographs unless the hosts say it is permitted, and keep your voice low and your shoulders and knees covered at the Mevlana complex.

What to wear

Konya's traditional dress is best known through the Mevlevi order. Dervishes wear a tall conical felt hat called a sikke and a wide white skirt, the tennure, which flares as the dancer turns, with a dark cloak worn over it until the ceremony begins. These are ceremonial clothes, seen mainly at semas and in museum displays. Everyday village dress in the region once included baggy şalvar trousers, embroidered waistcoats and headscarves of cotton and wool, and the area's textile fame rests on its hand-knotted wool carpets and kilims. Today most people in Konya wear plain modern clothes, with a conservative tilt compared with coastal Turkey. Many women wear headscarves and long coats or loose tops, men favour trousers and shirts, and shorts are uncommon on adults. Smart casual is normal for evenings out. Visitors should dress modestly, especially at the Mevlana complex and in mosques. Women should carry a light scarf to cover the head, with shoulders and knees covered for everyone. Summers are hot and dry in the day, so choose loose cotton or linen in long cuts, and bring a layer for cool nights. Winters are cold, with snow possible, so pack a warm coat. Comfortable shoes that slip off easily are practical, since stone courtyards and carpeted prayer halls mean removing footwear often.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. May–June and September–October are the most comfortable months, with warm days and cool nights. July and August are hot and dry, with daytime averages near 30 °C. Winters are cold and can bring snow.

How long. 2

Getting there. Konya has its own airport, with a Havaş bus into the centre timed around the Istanbul flights. Fast YHT trains run from Istanbul and Ankara, and a tram line serves the bus terminal and the centre.

Budget. low

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources