Konya is one of Turkey's oldest continuously inhabited cities, lying at the heart of the Anatolian plateau at 1,016 m elevation. It served as the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum (1077–1307) and is revered worldwide as the birthplace and final resting place of the 13th-century Sufi mystic and poet Mevlana Jalal ad-Din Rumi. The Mevlana Museum — one of Turkey's most-visited sites — draws pilgrims and curious travellers alike to its turquoise-tiled dome. Beyond spiritual tourism, Konya offers an extraordinary concentration of Seljuk monuments, a lively bazaar district, and a regional cuisine famous for etli ekmek (elongated meat-topped flatbread) and firin sut (baked milk dessert). As a conservative, predominantly religious city, Konya offers a glimpse of traditional Anatolian life rarely found in Turkey's coastal resorts.
Historical sites
Places where Konya's past comes alive.
Mevlana Museum (Mevlana Türbesi)
Where: City centre
Admission: Free
Alaeddin Mosque (Alaeddin Camii)
Where: Alaeddin Hill
Admission: Free
Karatay Medrese (Tile Museum)
Where: Alaeddin Hill area
Admission: 80 TRY (~$2.42 USD)
Ince Minare Museum (Thin Minaret Medrese)
Where: Alaeddin Hill area
Admission: 80 TRY (~$2.42 USD)
Çatalhöyük UNESCO Neolithic Site
Where: 50 km southeast of Konya
Admission: 100 TRY (~$3.03 USD)
Sahip Ata Complex
Where: Karatay district
Admission: Free (mosque); 80 TRY museum section