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KONYA (ICONIUM)
Konya, one of Turkey's oldest continuously inhabited
cities was known as Iconium in Roman times. The
capital of the Seljuk Turks from the 12th to the 13th
century, it ranks as one of the great cultural centers
of Turkey. During this period of artistic, political
and religious growth, the mystic Mevlana Celaleddin
Rumi founded a Sufi Order known in the West as the
Whirling Dervishes. The striking green tiled mausoleum
of Mevlana is Konya's most famous building. Attached
to the mausoleum the former dervish seminary serves
now as a museum devoted to manuscripts of Mevlana's
works and various artifacts related to the mysticism
of the sect. Every year, in the first half of December,
this still active religious order holds a ceremony
commemorating the Whirling Dervishes. The controlled,
almost trance-like turning of the white robed men
creates a mystical experience for the viewer. Alaeddin
Mosque, built on the site of the ancient citadel in
1220 during the reign of the great Seljuk sultan
Alaeddin Keykubat, commands Konya's skyline. To one
side of the mosque are the scant remains of the Seljuk
Imperial Palace. The Karatay Medrese, now a museum,
displays bold and striking Seljuk ceramics. On the
other side of the mosque the Ince Minareli Medrese of
1258 is remarkable for its marvelous baroque Seljuk
portal. Other Seljuk works include the Sirgali Medrese
and the Sahip Ata Complex. Visitors find Konya's
Archaeological Museum of exceptional interest. The
collection of the Koyunoglu Museum is a varied one,
and among its displays one is devoted to natural
history while another to old kilims. Within the museum
complex the restored Izzettin Koyunoglu house
illustrates the way of life of a prosperous Konya
family. Sille, 10 km north of Konya, has a Byzantine
church and several rock chapels with frescoes.
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