Konya is one of Turkey’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. It was the Seljuk capital, then a major stop on the Silk Road, and the home of Jalāl al-Dīn Rumi — the poet and mystic known in Turkey as Mevlâna — for most of his adult life. Today it draws pilgrims and visitors from across the world to his turquoise-domed mausoleum and the living tradition of the Sema.
- Region
- Central Anatolia
- Best seasons
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Known for
- Mevlâna, Sema, Etli ekmek
- Don't miss
- Thursday Sema ceremony
Mevlâna Museum
The Mevlâna Museumis Konya’s centrepiece — the former lodge of the Mevlevi order, now a museum containing Rumi’s tomb beneath the famous fluted turquoise dome. Rooms hold manuscripts, instruments, costumes and objects from seven centuries of Sufi tradition. It is a place of genuine pilgrimage; come respectfully and give it an hour.
The Sema ceremony
Every Saturday evening, the Mevlevi Cultural Centre hosts a live Sema— the whirling dervish ceremony that is one of Turkey’s most distinctive experiences. Dervishes in white robes spin for 45 minutes in a meditative ritual that has been performed here for 750 years. The ceremony is free and open to visitors; arrive early for a seat.
Seljuk architecture
Konya was the Seljuk capital from the 12th century, and the legacy is everywhere:
- Alâeddin Mosque — a 13th-century mosque with 42 antique columns, crowning the hill in the centre of the city.
- Karatay Ceramics Museum — a Seljuk medrese of extraordinary tile work, now displaying Seljuk ceramics.
- İnce Minareli Medrese — intricate stone carving around a single slender minaret.
Çatalhöyük
An hour southeast, Çatalhöyükis a UNESCO World Heritage Neolithic settlement dating from 7500 BCE — one of the world’s earliest towns and a window into the life of the first settled humans. The on-site museum explains the excavations; the actual dig site is visible under a shelter.
Konya in pictures
Frequently asked questions
Konya
3Visit the Mevlâna Museum, attend a Sema whirling dervish ceremony, explore the Seljuk mosques and Karatay Museum, and day-trip to the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük.
The Sema is performed every Saturday evening at the Mevlevi Cultural Centre, and nightly during the Şeb-i Arûs festival in December. It's free and open to visitors.
The fastest option is the high-speed train from Pendik (Istanbul) to Konya — about 4 hours. Alternatively, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus fly from Istanbul airports in about 1 hour.