Holiday in Konya

What makes Konya special as a destination?

Konya is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the spiritual center of Turkey. The city in the Central Anatolian plateau is inextricably linked to the Persian poet and mystic Jalal ad-Din Rumi (Mevlana), who lived, taught, and founded the order of the Whirling Dervishes (Mevlevi Order) here in the 13th century. The Mevlana Museum, housed in the former monastery of the Mevlevi Order, is the most visited attraction in Anatolia after the mosques of Istanbul. Beneath the iconic green dome rests Rumi's sarcophagus, surrounded by exquisitely decorated manuscripts, carpets, and dervish garments. The saying at the entrance — Come, whoever you are, come — reflects Rumi's philosophy of universal love. The Sema ceremony (Whirling Dervishes) is a mystical dance ritual in which the dervishes spin around their own axis and enter a meditative state — the right hand raised (to receive divine grace) and the left hand down (to pass it on to the earth). In December, the Seb-i Arus Festival takes place, celebrating Rumi's death as a wedding night with the Divine. The Aladdin Mosque on Aladdin Hill is the most significant Seljuk structure in the city, built in the 12th and 13th centuries. The Ince Minareli Medrese (Slim Minaret Quran School) with its artistically decorated portal is a masterpiece of Seljuk stone masonry. Catalhöyük, just 50 km southeast of Konya, is one of the oldest known human settlements in the world (7500-5700 BC): The UNESCO World Heritage Site shows remains of a Neolithic settlement with up to 10,000 inhabitants who lived without streets and entered their houses via the roofs.