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Karaman is famous as the burial-place
of numerous saintly people, including
the mother of Mevlana
Jelaleddin Rumi, founder of the Whirling
Dervishes.
It's a historic Central
Anatolian city 113 km (70 miles)
southeast of Konya,
with a hilltop fortress and
several historic mosques,
but it's of third-rank importance
to most foreign visitors unless you've
got a thing for saintly mothers.
Should you be passing through, have
a look at the Mader-i Mevlana (Aktekke)
Mosque (1370) and its adjoining
hamam, right in the city center. Besides
Mevlana's mother, his elder brother and
the Karamanoglu emir Seyfeddin Süleyman
Bey are buried here.
The Ibrahim Bey Medrese (Seminary) and
Imareti (Soup Kitchen, 1423)
and the fine adjoining Seljuk-style tomb crowned
by a stork's nest.
Also buried in Karaman is the renowned
ancient 14th-century Turkish folk bard Yunus
Emre in a mosque-tomb complex dating
from 1349. Yunus's poetry and songs
are still popular in Turkey today.
The fortress (kale), has a
summer concert stage within, and fine
views of the city from its walls.
Karaman was an important provincial
capital during the Seljuk and
post-Seljuk (Beylik) periods (1000-1400
AD). The Karamanogullari emirs were
among the country's most important
regional rulers.
Bus service
between Karaman and Konya is
fast and frequent, as is service to Silifke on
the Mediterranean
coast. There is also some service
to Nigde,
and from there to Cappadocia.
Several trains connect
Istanbul with Konya, Karaman and Adana,
including the Toros
Ekspresi and the Iç Anadolu
Mavi Tren.
Distances & Travel Times
Aksaray: 208
km (129 miles) N, 3.5 hours
Konya: 113
km (70 miles) NW, 1.75 hours
Nigde: 195
km (121 miles) E, 3 hours
Silifke: 147
km (91 miles) S, 2.5 hours
Central
Anatolia
Where
to Go
Turkey
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