Konya

Konya

Konya is one of Turkey's oldest continuously inhabited cities and the spiritual heart of the country. It was here, in the 13th century, that the great Sufi poet Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi lived, taught and was laid to rest. His mausoleum, the Mevlana Museum with its unmistakable turquoise-tiled dome, draws pilgrims and visitors from around the world, and the meditative Sema ceremony of the Whirling Dervishes remains one of Turkey's most moving cultural experiences.

Once the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, Konya is rich in elegant medieval architecture, from the Alaeddin Mosque atop its central hill to the beautifully tiled Karatay Medrese. A key stop on the old Silk Road, the city sits at the edge of the Anatolian plain near Çatalhöyük, one of the world's earliest known settlements. Calm, dignified and deeply atmospheric, Konya is an easy and rewarding stop between Cappadocia and the coast.