Konya

The resting place of the Sufi poet Rumi and birthplace of the whirling dervishes, with Seljuk architecture and the Neolithic World Heritage site of Çatalhöyük.

Konya lies in the southern part of the Anatolian plateau in central Turkey and is the capital of Turkey's largest province by area. In the 12th–13th centuries it was the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, which left behind many madrasas, mosques and caravanserais. The 13th-century Sufi poet Rumi (Mevlana) lived and was buried here, and the whirling dervish ceremony originated here too; the city as a whole has a fairly conservative religious atmosphere. The main sightseeing areas: around Alaeddin Hill in the city centre are the Alaeddin Mosque, İnce Minare and Karatay Madrasa; about a 15-minute walk east are the Mevlana Museum, Selimiye Mosque and the old bazaar, with the Mevlana Cultural Centre and the Panorama Museum further east. On the outskirts are the old village of Sille and the Tropical Butterfly Garden. Day trips can take you to Çatalhöyük, about 45 km southeast, Kilistra to the southwest, and further afield to the wooden-columned Eşrefoğlu Mosque in Beyşehir, the crater lake of Meke and Sultanhanı caravanserai. The best seasons are Apr–May and Sep–Oct; summers are hot and dry, and winters cold and snowy. During the commemoration of Rumi's death on 7–17 December, whirling dervish performances are frequent and hotels need to be booked well ahead. Getting there: high-speed trains run directly from Istanbul and Ankara (about 2 hours from Ankara), and there are also flights; in the city, trams connect the main sights, while a hired car is recommended for sights outside town. Plan to stay 2–3 days, and dress modestly when visiting religious sites.

Top sights

• Mevlana Museum – The tomb of the Sufi poet Rumi and the former monastery of the whirling dervishes. Its turquoise conical dome is the symbol of Konya.
• Mevlana Cultural Centre – A cultural center built specifically for whirling dervish ceremonies, where you can watch an authentic Mevlevi sema ceremony for free every…
• Çatalhöyük – A large Neolithic settlement about 9,000 years old and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where visitors can see the excavation site under prote…
• Alaeddin Mosque & Hill – A Seljuk court mosque on Alaeddin Hill in the city centre, containing more than 40 classical stone columns and a finely carved wooden pulpit
• İnce Minareli Medrese – A Seljuk madrasa built in 1264, whose intricately carved stone portal is a masterpiece and which now houses a stone and wood carving museum
• Karatay Madrasa (Tile Museum) – A Seljuk madrasa built in 1251, whose dome is covered inside with blue and black glazed tiles forming star patterns, now the Tile Museum
• Sille – An ancient village northwest of Konya where Greek and Turkish communities once lived side by side, with stone houses, rock-cut cave chapels…
• Meke Crater Lake – A unusual landform in which a volcanic cone rises from within a volcanic crater; called the 'Eye of the World,' the lake has shrunk dramati…
• Shams Tabrizi Mosque & Tomb – A memorial mausoleum and mosque for Shams, the spiritual mentor of Rumi, where Sufi devotees come to pay their respects
• Selimiye Mosque – A 16th-century Ottoman mosque right next to the Mevlana Museum, modelled on the Fatih Mosque in Istanbul
• Aziziye Mosque – A late Ottoman 19th-century mosque in the old market, with Baroque and Rococo decoration and minarets with small covered balconies
• Sırçalı Medrese – A Seljuk madrasa built in 1242, named the 'Glass Madrasa' for its glazed tile decoration, now a gravestone museum
• Konya Tropical Butterfly Garden – One of the largest tropical butterfly gardens in Europe, with thousands of colourful butterflies fluttering in a greenhouse shaped like a g…
• Konya Archaeological Museum – Houses artefacts excavated from Çatalhöyük and an exquisite Roman sarcophagus showing the Twelve Labours of Heracles
• Kilistra Ancient City – A rock-cut ancient city in Gökyurt village, with Byzantine cave churches and dwellings, known as 'Little Cappadocia'
• Bedesten Bazaar – The old city market between the Mevlana Museum and the Aziziye Mosque, with spices, copperware, carpets and traditional snacks
• İzzet Koyunoğlu City Museum – A general museum built on a private collector's donation, with Seljuk objects and kilims, and a well-preserved old Konya house next door
• Konya Panorama Museum – A museum that recreates 13th-century Konya in the time of Rumi with a 360-degree panorama painting, useful background before visiting the m…
• Eşrefoğlu Mosque, Beyşehir – A wooden-columned mosque completed in 1299, with 48 cedar columns and painted wooden ceilings in excellent condition, inscribed as a World…
• Sultanhanı Caravanserai – Anatolia's largest caravanserai, built by a Seljuk sultan in 1229, with a monumental stone gate representative of Silk Road stopovers

Where to eat

• Tarihi Ali Baba Fırın Kebabı – A specialized, long-standing restaurant near the Mevlana Museum, which has reportedly made only oven-roasted lamb since…
• Tiritçi Mithat – A famous tirit restaurant in a small alley next to the Aziziye Mosque, known for its broth-soaked bread topped with yog…
• Celal Bey Etli Ekmek – An affordable flatbread restaurant right next to the Mevlana Museum, serving freshly baked, long, and crispy etli ekmek…
• Şifa Lokantası – An old restaurant on Mevlana Avenue with a comprehensive selection of local dishes, allowing you to try various Konya h…

Itineraries

• Turkey Classic First-Timer Loop – Cover the four classic highlights of Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, and Ephesus in one seamless journey designed for…
• Turkey Grand Panorama Loop – From the historic battlefields of the Dardanelles to the Lycian Coast and the Anatolian heartland, experience a compreh…
• Cappadocia, Kayseri and Konya in – Enter through Kayseri, stay five nights in Göreme to explore every route, then travel via the Sultanhani caravanserai t…