Konya
From Turkey Travel Guide
Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey.
Contents |
[edit] History
Although Konya is one of the world's most ancient cities, it is most famous as the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum from 1097 to 1243, when the city acquired most of the monuments of interest to the visitor. In addition to royal foundations of the Seljuks, Konya also attracted at this time the famous Islamic poet and philosopher Jalal al-din Rumi (1207-1273), the founder of the Mevlevi Sufi Order. After the fall of the Seljuk Sultanate, Konya continued to receive adornments from the rulers of near-by Karaman until the entire area was conquered by the Ottomans in 1468. Following the Ottoman conquest, Konya became a provincial capital and most of the Ottoman architecture in Konya consists of buildings originally dating from Seljuk or Karamanid times which were later rebuilt by the Ottomans. Today, Konya is one of Turkey's major industrial cities, one of the rapidly growing "Anatolian tigers" of Turkey's emerging industrial heartland.
[edit]
Konya is located at the south Central Anatolia, in Turkey. Konya has the coordinates as 37 degree 51 minute 56 second northern latitude, 32 degree 28 minute 57 second eastern longitude. Konya is 663 km far away from Istanbul and 333 km from Eskisehir on the northwest, 413 km far away from Antalya on the west.
[edit] Getting there
[edit] By plane
Konya has a small airport, originally built for the Turkish military, which has receives a few daily flights from Istanbul as well as a few seasonal flights from Europe. Air passengers can get to and from the city by using the Havaş bus, which goes from the airport to the Ataturk Monument in the Meram district. The trip from the airport to the city takes around half an hour and costs 9TL.
[edit] By train
Two overnight trains, the Meram Ekpresi and the Iç Anadolu Mavi, connect Konya with Istanbul's Haydarpaşa Train Station. One way fare in the sleeping compartment is around 55TL.
[edit] By car
[edit] By bus
There are frequent bus connections from Konya to both Istanbul and Ankara. Istanbul is approximately 10 hours by bus from Konya while the trip from Konya to Ankara takes around 3 hours.
[edit] By boat
No sea connection.
[edit] Getting around
Konya's main sights are clustered together in a rather small section of the city, making walking an easy way of getting around the central city. The road between the Alaadin Hill and the Mevlana Musuem is a wide and straight avenue containing some notable sights along the way.
[edit] By car
[edit] By public transport
There are municipality buses, public buses and minibuses running around town to every direction with cheap fares.
[edit] By foot
The city center can be covered by walking but in order to see the whole town you might need a car or some other transportation because it's not small.
[edit] By bike
Biking friendly city.
[edit] Weather
Konya has terrestrial climate with tough winters (cold and snowy) and hot and dry summers. Annual average temperature is 11.5°C. The hottest temperature is 40°C and the lowest is -28.2°C. There is fog for about 23 days and annual average rainfall is 326 mm.
(°F)
(40)
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(68)
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(°F)
(24)
(26)
(31)
(40)
(47)
(55)
(61)
(60)
(52)
(43)
(33)
(28)
(inches)
(1.3)
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[edit] See
The Mevlana Museum
Perhaps Konya's star attraction is the Mevlana Museum (entrance 2TL) whose stunning green tomb above the tomb of Rumi is one of Konya's most recognizable landmarks. The museum contains the graves of Jalal al-din Rumi along with other members of his family, while other prominent followers of Rumi's teachings are buried in the grounds. The main section of the museum contains the tomb of Rumi as well as artifacts from the Mevlevi order, while the adjacent room contains numerous illuminated manuscripts fro the Ottoman and Seljuk periods (as well as some even older samples).
Alaadin Hill This hill in the center of town now functions as a park but was once the imperial center of the Seljuk Sultanate, containing the Palace of the Seljuks as well as the imperial Alaadin Keybubad Mosque. The Seljuk palace has long since collapsed, leaving only a fragment from one its walls now covered by a concrete umbrella. The Alaadin Mosque, burial place of several Seljuks sultans, is however still standing and open to visitors during the day. There is no charge for admission but a gatekeeper with ensure that you remove your shoes when entering and otherwise enforce standard etiquette for visiting a working mosque.
The Karatay Medrese Located just off the Alaadin Hill, this Sejuk Medrese (religious college) now hosts a museum of Seljuk tile-works from Konya and the surrounding area, reflecting its own tiled interior. Entrance to the museum is 3TL per person.
The Ince Minaret Medrese Located near the Karatay Medrese and the Alaadin Hill, this Seljuk medrese now serves as a museum of stone and wood work featuring many large fragments from the stone walls that surrounded Konya during its days as the seat of the Seljuk dynasty. Entrance to the museum is 3TL per person.
The Archeology Museum Konya's archeology musuem contains some excellent finds from the surrounding area, one of the oldest known inhabited areas on the planet. Finds can be found dating as far back as 9000 BC from Çatalhoyuk, along with finds from the Assyrian era settlement of Karahoyuk and numerous Roman-era finds from the region.
[edit] Do
Hunting: In hilly and thickly wooded areas like Beyşehir, Seydişehir, Hadim, Taşkent, and Ilgın hunting tourism is being made, especially by foreign tourists.
Cycling: Because of the geographical structure of the city and its surrounding plains, cycling is very popular in Konya. The Mevlana International Cycle Race is held here every year between 5 - 9 September. Have a cup of coffee at Meram. Take a walk around the small streets of Konya where you can find a lot of clothes and presents for very low prices.
Buy: -Wooden spoon.
-Traditional Mevlana-candy.
-Trinkets related to Rumi (and whirling dervishes).
[edit] Eat
Konya is known throught much of the rest of Turkey for its hearty local cuisine, which includes such items as Bamya çorbası (Okra soup), etli ekmek, tirit kebab, and düğün pilavı.
[edit] Drink
Drink wine with the special dish called "gavinna" in Sille, 7 km from Konya.
In the city center you can drink ayran with the local dish "etli ekmek" (pitta with meat).
[edit] Sleep
[edit] Budget
Mevlana Otel Konya [1] is a cheap hotel located on Istanbul Caddesi in the city center.
[edit] Mid-Range
Balıkçılar Hotel [2] is a 4 star hotel with phone number +90-332-350 9470.
Selçuk Otel [3] is another 4 star hotel in the city center and its phone number is +90-332-353 2525.
[edit] Upscale
Dedeman Konya [4] is a 5 star hotel with phone number +90-332-221 6600.
Rıxos Hotel Konya [5] is a luxury hotel with phone number +90-332-221 5000.
[edit] Work
Konya's economy depends on "agriculture". For foreigners, a valid work permit is necessary.
[edit] Learn
Established in 1975, Selcuk University [6] has 16 faculties, 1 State Conservatory, 1 Higher Education School of Foreign Languages, 25 Vocational Schools of Higher Education and 13 Research and Application Centers with about 60,000 students and a population of approximately 3,900 academicians and administrative personnel. The name of the University comes from the Seljuk Empire whose capital was Konya.
[edit] Keep connected
[edit] post
Post Office: Kalecik Mah. Başaralı Cad. No:50 42119 Meram phone: 0(332)3538565
[edit] Safety
EMNIYET MUDURLUGU (Police Station): Musallabağı Mh. Telgırafçı Hamdibey Cd. Selçuklu KONYA phone: 0(332)2376400
JANDARMA KOMUTANLIGI (District Gendarmerie Command): Konya Valiliği, Şükran Mahallesi, Tevfikiye Caddesi, No:2, 42209 Meram/KONYA phone: 0(332) 233 97 14/46 00
[edit] Stay Healthy
MERAM DEVLET HASTANESİ Meram Yeni Yol Üzeri (On the Meram new road.) phone: 323 67 09 NUMUNE HASTANESİ Yenişehir Mahallesi Hastane Caddesi SELÇUKLU phone: 235 45 00
[edit] Books
[edit] External links
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