Konya

Understand

Konya has been inhabited at least since 3000 BC: cultures we know of include the Hittites, Sea Peoples (the Philistines of Canaan), Phrygians, Cimmerians, Greeks, Romans and Persians. In 47 AD St Paul and his followers were run out of town in Antioch and began preaching here, with the same result. But Konya is best known as the capital of the Sultanate of Rum, established in the late 11th century in former Byzantine territory. The poet and Sufi thinker Rumi settled in the early 13th century. The city's heritage thus stems from this Selçuk golden age. From 1420 it was ruled by the Ottomans, though briefly occupied by the Khedive of Egypt in 1832 and by the Italians in 1919, as part of a short-lived attempt to establish a colony in southwestern Asia Minor during the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire post-World War I. The town lies on a flat agricultural plain, so food, textiles and leather were its early industries. In the 20th and 21st centuries came automobiles, tool and machinery manufacturing, casting, paints, chemicals, construction materials, paper and packaging. The population doubled from about one million in 1960 to two million in 2000 as Konya drew in labour from elsewhere. In 1975 Selçuk University was founded here, and trade including tourism was boosted in 2011 when the high speed railway arrived. It has a large air base, so it stands on the front line of NATO defences, with several cockpits of war within 30 minutes flying time. Konya retains the air of an Anatolian provincial town with a conservative outlook. The plus for visitors is to be left in peace, without the continual hassles of Istanbul, however few locals speak English or any other foreign language. There's the occasional shark taxi driver or trader but most people are hospitable. The conservative dress, such as women using headscarves, is especially noticeable if you've just come from one of the Med beach resorts. Sauntering around the mosques and streets in beach shorts is like wearing a big sign: "I'm a know-nothing tourist, please rip me off." The climate is typical of inland Turkey, a continental cycle of hot and arid then biting cold and snow. Summers are hot, and dry except in June, but with the city at 1016 m elevation, nights can be chilly. Winters are grey with frequent light snow, which lingers since daytime temperatures are near freezing, and during some nights can dip towards -18°C. Spring and autumn are cool to mild, with chilly to cold nights. Autumn is mostly dry while spring brings heavy showers and thunderstorms, sometimes violent.

Getting there

"Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving — it doesn't matter, Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vow a hundred times, Come, come again, come." — Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī

By plane 1 Konya Airport (KYA IATA) (18 km north of city). This has 3 flights a day from both Istanbul airports, from IST mostly by Turkish Airlines (or Anadolu their subsidiary), and from SAW mostly by Pegasus. In summer and Christmas holiday seasons there are flights direct from Europe, such as Düsseldorf by Sun Express. The airport is small but plenty big enough for its limited passengers. Winter can be vexing, as there is limited bad weather capability so flights are grounded by fog, and there are no air bridges so you cross between aircraft and terminal in the sleet. The airport has car hire. (updated Dec 2022) Getting there and away: Havaş buses run downtown via the bus terminal (which is on the tram line). They take 40 min and in 2022 cost 16 TL. They only run three times a day to connect with the Istanbul flights. City buses don't come into the airport, but buses 34, 54 and 111 pass within 500 m on Highway D715.

By train Konya has YHT fast trains from Istanbul and Ankara. There are four per day from Istanbul via Eskişehir, taking 4 hr 45 min. From Ankara five trains per day take 1 hr 45 min. Three trains continue east to Karaman (50 min), which has buses to Silifke for the Cyprus ferry. Toros Express runs daily from Adana, taking 6 hr 30 min via Karaman and a dozen other small places. Konya Mavi takes 12 hours overnight from Izmir Basmane station via Manisa and Afyon, departing Izmir at 20:00 and returning at 19:00. For timetables and tickets see TCDD.

2 Konya railway station (Konya garı) (2.5 km southwest of downtown. Take a taxi, dolmuş or town bus 67 to the centre). (updated Jul 2023) 3 Selçuklu YHT railway station (Selçuklu YHT Garı) (4 km north of downtown). Opened in Oct 2020. All the YHT trains stop here a few minutes before reaching the old station; the Konya Mavi doesn't stop. The building is clean and yawning empty, and not yet populated by shops, travel kiosks and the like. It will eventually be served by KonyaRay Metro. (updated Jul 2023)

By bus

4 Otobüs Terminali (7 km north of city centre. The tram or dolmuş takes 30 min to go downtown.). It has toilets and a cafe but everything is grubby and overpriced. Bus operators at the station include Metro Turizm and Flixbus. Travel shops line Mevlana Cd and it's best to book before heading out to the station. Buses from Istanbul run every 1–2 hr

Getting around

Walk the central district, most sites are within 1 km or so. Trams run 06:00 to midnight. Line 1 runs north-south from Selçuk University via the bus terminal and Selçuklu YHT station to Zafer / Alaaddin Hill in city centre. Line 2 runs east-west from Alifbey via the Mevlana Cultural Centre and Mevlana Cd to Zafer / Alaadin Hill. They loop the hill then head back out. Trams and public buses don't take cash, you need a KonyaKart (previously called ElKart). Buy it at the bus or railway station and many tram stops, and top up at convenience stores, tram stops, and on the town official mobile app (Android, iOS). In 2025 the non-seasonal KonyaKart costs 30.00 TL and each journey (scan on boarding) costs22.50 TL. ATUS is the municipal transport website. It's only in Turkish. KonyaRay is a metro railway in planning but as of 2022 construction has not begun.

See

1 Mevlana Museum (Mausoleum of Rumi), Mevlana Cd 1, ☏ +90 332 351 1215. Daily 09:00-17:00. Rumi (1207–1273) was a Persian poet, philosopher and teacher who lived in Konya after the Byzantine Romans had been ousted but the area was still known as "Rum". He's known in Turkish as Mevlana, "the master", or more snappily as Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi; he was originally from Balkh, and came to Konya as a refugee from the Mongol invasion.He taught a mystic Sufi interpretation of Islam and rituals in his lifetime included music. After his death music and dancing were accentuated and his son founded the cult known in the west as "whirling dervishes", with Mevlana lodges in many cities.His mausoleum is here, along with a museum displaying relics of his life and times. The separate Melvana Cultural Centre stages Mevlana dancing ceremonies. Free. (updated Dec 2023) Selimiye Mosque in the plaza outside Mevlana Museum is an elegant classic Ottoman building completed in 1567. Kapu Mosque and Aziziye Mosque are ornate buildings a block south of Mevlana Cd. The graveyard southwest side of the Cultural Centre contains Mevlana disciples and other notables. Koyunoğlu Müzesi is a small display within the city library, 200 m southwest of the Cultural Centre. 2 Iplikçi Mosque, Mevlana Cd (corner of Emir Pervane Sk). Daily 06:00-21:00. This mosque was built in 1202 AD (598 AH), a brick Seljuk structure. İplikçi means "thread spinner" and İplikçi Necîbüddin Ayaz was a trustee of the adjacent madressa. The mosque was expanded in various styles and rebuilt in the 16th century after a fire. It was restored from 1945 as a museum but re-dedicated as a mosque in 1960. Free. (updated Dec 2022)

3 Alaaddin Hill is an artificial knoll raised by Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat at the zenith of Seljuk power. Today it's a small park at the focus of the city tramways, so the trams gyrate around it as if in homage to the dervishes then rattle back out to the suburbs. Upon it stands Alâeddin Mosque (open daily 08:00-23:00) - the crafty Sultan expunged credits to its earlier contributors, a lesson in leadership that the hapless Aladdin of western pantomime tradition might heed. He and at least seven other sultans are buried in the two mausoleums. The mosque was restored from 2014. North flank of the hill are the scraps of a Seljuk palace protected by a concrete umbrella. This was built maybe 50 years before the mosque by Kılıçarslan II, whose main legacy was to set his 11 sons and 3 daughters at war with himself and each other, to the delight of the invading Crusaders. 4 Ince Minare Museum (Stone Wo

Do

1 Sema (Whirling dervish ceremony), Mevlana Cultural Centre. Sema is the authentic dervish ceremony, traditionally held in the Centre on Saturday at 19:00 winter, 20:00 summer. During the weeks culminating in the Şeb-i Arûs, "reunion night", commemorating Rumi's death on Dec 17, the ceremonies are held as frequently as twice daily. 100–250 TL; tickets are sold online. (updated Nov 2023) Mystic Music Festival celebrates global music similar to the Mevlana mystic tradition. The next is probably 21-29 Sept 2023, tbc. Football: Konyaspor play soccer in Süper Lig, the country's top tier. Their home ground is the multi-purpose Konya Büyükşehir (meaning "Metropolitan") Stadium, capacity 42,000 all seated, 5 km north of city centre. Internationals are occasionally played here. The stadium design is supposed to indicate the Mevlana dervishes, or bicycle spokes (the architects were a bit vague on this), but it's more like a millipede from Andromeda. Lunapark is a funfair on Beyhkim Cd 8 km north of the centre.

Buy

Small stores are about 1 km out from Alaaddin Hill. Kulesite is a mall on Kule Cd towards the YHT railway station. M1 Tepe is 5 km north of the centre on Dr Halil Ürün Cd.

Eat

Local cuisine centres on wheat/bread and mutton. That's one in the eye for Mevlana, himself a strict vegan. Etliekmek is a very long thin pizza with meat or cheese, as if the delivery rider had lost an argument with a steamroller. Tandır kebap is soft and juicy lamb meat slowly cooked in a wood-fired oven. Okra soup (bamya çorbası) is baby okra and chunks of meat cooked in sweet-sour pomegranate molasses. Local snacks and desserts include gevrek, stubby baguettes with butter, sesame and fennel seeds, and Konya sarması, crunchy rolls filled with whipped cream. Sifa, Mevlana Cd 69 (northwest side of Mevlana Museum), ☏ +90 332 352 0519. Daily 09:00-23:45. Small friendly place for soup and meat. (updated Dec 2022) Mithat Tirit, Aziziye Cd (200 m west of Selimiye Mosque), ☏ +90 332 350 7298. M-Sa 11:00-18:00. Don't ponder too long over the menu, they only serve Tirit kebab. (updated Dec 2022) Osmanlı Döner is behind Seljuk Hotel near Alaaddin Hill, open M-Sa 07:00-20:30. Somatçı Fihi Ma Fih, Mengüc Cd 41 (200 m south of Selimiye Mosque), ☏ +90 536 562 2205. Daily 09:30-21:30. Charming Med restaurant in a mansion courtyard. (updated Dec 2022)

Drink & nightlife

Some cafes serve beer, but Konya is conservative and lacks bars and nightlife. Yeshill Coffee within Think Hotel has power sockets at every table and Wi-Fi.

Sleep

Budget 1 Dergâh Hotel, Mevlana Cd 71 (by Mevlana Museum), ☏ +90 332 350 5005. Good central location, indifferent hygiene. (updated Dec 2022) 2 Otel Çeşme, Şems-i Tebrizi Sk 21, ☏ +90 332 351 2426. Clean and comfy enough budget option. B&B double 800 TL. (updated Dec 2022) Hotel Ulusan, Karahafızlar Sk (behind PTT central post office off Mevlana Cd), ☏ +90 332 351 5004, [email protected]. A decent budget choice in city centre. (updated Dec 2022) 3 Nun Otel, Cihangir Cd 12, ☏ +90 332 350 3300. Clean pleasant budget place, some traffic noise. B&B double 800 TL. (updated Dec 2022)

Mid-range Hotel Balikcilar, Mimar Sinan Sk 1 (facing Mevlana Museum), ☏ +90 444 6 503, [email protected]. Great location across the street from Mevlana Museum. Small rooms with balcony, wifi, TV, air-con and en-suite bathrooms. B&B double 1000 TL. (updated Dec 2022) Nil Otel, Başaralı Cd 26 (off Mevlana Cd behind İplikçi Mosque), ☏ +90 332 350 2425, [email protected]. Reliable simple place with clean rooms, wifi, bathroom, satellite TV, air-con. B&B double 600 TL. (updated Dec 2022) 4 Selçuk Otel, Kazanlı Sk 6 (off Mevlana Cd), ☏ +90 332 352 7070. Smart clean hotel near Aladdin's Hill. B&B double 1000 TL. (updated Dec 2022) 5 Bera Konya Otel, Dr Mehmet Hulusi Baybal Cd 9, ☏ +90 332 238 4242. Good comfy place 2 km from main sights with parking lot. B&B double 1000 TL. (updated Dec 2022)

Splurge

Hilton Garden Inn, Kışlaönü Sk 4 (next to Mevlana Cultural Centre), ☏ +90 332 221 6000. Good central location with free basement parking, so-so ratings for comfort and service, and breakfast is worth missing. B&B double 2000 TL. (updated Dec 2022) 6 Dedeman Hotel, Yeni Sille Cd 1, ☏ +90 332 221 6600. Modern hotel and convention centre earning mostly good reviews, some problems with aircon and traffic noise. B&B double 1500 TL. (updated Dec 2022) 7 Grand Hotel, Yeni Istanbul Cd 231 (15 km north on D300), ☏ +90 332 221 5000. Mediocre ratings for comfort and service. Convenient for motorists or if you're visiting the university or hospital; tram route to town. B&B double 1500 TL. (updated Dec 2022)

Go next

Çatalhöyük – 1 hour's drive away from Konya, this archeologically hugely important prehistoric site is one of the earliest and most well preserved human settlements discovered. Akşehir – A pretty little town in the northwest of Konya province, which was home of the Hoca, a Sufi sage famous for his folk wit. The city holds a Hoca festival in July. Aksaray – A laid-back city and great hub for the surrounding attractions near Güzelyurt, or like Tuz Gölü ("Salt Lake"), the second largest lake in Turkey is becoming a popular day trip from the Cappadocian towns, to wade across it shallow waters and to take a few pictures of its vivid, dreamlike views. Cappadocia – 3 hours east is a must-see unworldly landscape. Karaman – Has a medieval centre. It's a stop-off on the way to Adana, and you change here for transport to the coast, for ferries to Cyprus.