|
Konya,
capital of the
Seljuk
Turkish Empire of Rum, city
of Mevlâna
Jelaleddin Rumî and the
whirling
dervishes, is the place to
see the beautiful reminders
of them all.
A half dozen beautiful old Seljuk
buildings draw your attention here,
foremost among them the Mevlana
Museum,
site of the tomb of Rumî.
The former whirling dervish hall shelters
the tomb of Jelaleddin
Rumî, and draws pilgrims
from around the world. More...
Built on orders of the
Sultan Selim II in 1567, this fine
mosque from the great period of Ottoman
architecture seems "modern" compared
to Konya's venerable Seljuk mosques,
but have a look inside anyway, as it's
right next to the Mevlana
Museum. More...
Set atop the ancient tumulus
of Alaettin Tepesi, Konya's
most venerable mosque (1221) is a forest
of columns
behind a grand portal, and shelters
the tombs of many Seljuk
Turkish sultans. More...
Built as a theological seminary,
this graceful Seljuk building (1267)
now serves as the Museum of Wooden
Artifacts and Stone Carving,
but is as beautiful as ever—a must-see. More...
An inspiration for the nearby İnce Minare,
this slightly earlier seminary (Büyük
Karatay Medresesi, 1251-52)
endowed by a Seljuk grand vezir has marvelous
tilework, and is in fact now a tile museum.
More...
The small mosque and cenotaph
said to be that of Rumî's
spiritual companion is an affecting place
only a short stroll from the center of
Konya. More...
This big boxy mosque right in the center
of Konya dates from the late 1100s,
but was extensively restored several
times. More...
The "Glass Seminary" takes its name
from its glazed blue tiles. It's now
a Museum of Gravestones, but it's the
wonderful building you want to see.
More...
South of the Sirçali
Medrese, this was once a grand külliye. Several
impressive buildings survive, and are
worth a visit. The Archeological
Museum
is just to the west. More...
Konya's
Arkeoloji Müzesi is worth
a visit for all its exhibits, but especially
the artifacts from the Neolithic site
at Çatalhöyük. More...
For years the Şeb-i Aruz commemoration
ceremonies of Jelaleddin
Rumî's death
were held in Konya's
sports hall. This wonderful new cultural
center was built to be worthy of
the solemn occasion, and of Rumî's
worldwide renown. More...
Çatalhöyük, 45
km (28 miles) southeast of Konya, holds
the remains of a Neolithic (New
Stone Age) settlement believed to be
among
the world's oldest human communities
(9500 years old). It's a half-day
excursion with your own vehicle, a full
day by
public transport. More...
This
town on the eastern shore of the
large Beyşehir
Lake boasts one of the finest
and most unusual Seljuk
Turkish mosques in Anatolia,
the Eşrefoğlu
Camii. If you're driving
from Cappadocia or Konya to Antalya or Denizli/Pamukkale,
Beyşehir is a great place to stop
for tea or
a lunch of lake fish. More...
The ancient Silk
Road east from Konya to Aksaray and Cappadocia is dotted
with fine old Seljuk
Turkish caravanserais.
You should stop and see at least
one, preferably the grandest and
finest, the Sultan
Han. More...
—by Tom Brosnahan
|
