About Konya
Konya is one of the first centers of population in the history of humankind. and it owns the traces of many ancient civilizations. Because of these characteristics, Konya has the specialty of a "museum - city". Konya is also famous for the Islamic Elders lived here, besides its innumerable historical, cultural and natural values. During the old times, Konya took place on the most important and main roads. It used to be one of the most important trade and billeting centers of the Silk Road.
How To Go
Highway
It is possible to reach to Konya, from any part of Turkey, by taking the highway. The Inter - city Bus Station of Konya is 15 km away from the city, and it can be reached there by dolmush, taxi, or tramcar.

Bus Station Tel : (+ 90 - 332) 461 20 31 - 512 40 20
 
Railway
It is possible to reach to the Train Station from any part of the city by taking the small busses.

Railway Station Tel : (+ 90 - 332) 322 36 70
 
Airway
Daily flights from Konya to Istanbul and from Istanbul to Konya are available. It can be reached to the Airport from the city - center by taking the service busses of Turkish Airlines or by taxi.

Airport Tel : (+ 90 - 332) 239 13 40
Places to visit Ancient Cities
Çatalhöyük

Çatalhöyük is 60 km away from Konya city - center. The archaeological excavations at that ancient place are still continuing. It had been designated that the oldest housing layer at that place belongs to BC 5500. In the history of humankind, the first settlement, housing architecture, and sacred building takes place in Çatalhöyük. The construction materials used here are adobe, wood, and reed. Some of the leftovers found here are exhibited in the Konya Museum of Archaeology. 

 
Clistra Antic City
The Clistra Antic City takes place at the 55 km Southwest of Konya. This city is on the famous "King Road", and it is one of the first places in which Saint Paul, who was a disciple of Jesus Christ, gave sermons. The archeological carvings in the area are still continuing. Places like Hadj Plank Chapel, Sümbül Church, Double Sırahane, and Great Water Cistern Chapel are some of the important archeological and historical values found during these archeological carvings.
 
Sille Aya-Elana Church
Sille is an ancient center of population which is 8 km away from the Konya city center. Helena, the mother of Byzantine Emperor Constantine, had stopped in Konya during her journey to Jerusalem for Hadj at AC 327; and saw the engraved temples here that are belong the first ages of Christianity. After that, she decided to construct a temple here. The preach rostrum, and the color figures on the walls of the church are unique works of art.

                                                                                                                                         Monuments
Eflatunpınar
Eflatunpınar is a holy Hittite Monument which had been built in the times of Hittites. It is 22 km away from Beyşehir. The Monument represents the Gods holding the sky and providing the relation between the sky and the ground.
Fasıllar Monument
It is one of the biggest rock monuments of the earth. The Fasıllar Monument represents the God between two lions in a mountain temple.
Eflatunpınar Hittite Monument
The Eflatunpınar Hittite Monument takes place within the borders of Beyşehir District of Konya. The Monument consists of embossed designs on rectangular rocks near a spring. These embossed designs, which are still keeping their characteristics, had been engraved on 14 rock blocks.
İvriz Embossed Designs

These monuments takes place in the İvriz Village of Halkapınar District. They had been made by Hittites.

 
Palaces and Inns
Kubad-Abad Palace
The palace is at the southwest of Beyşehir Lake. It had been constructed between the years of 1226 - 1236. It is the oldest example of Theological School of Turkish Palaces.
 
Zazadin Inn

It is at the 25th km of Konya - Aksaray road. It had been constructed in 1236. 

 
Horozlu Inn
It is at the 44th km of Konya - Beyşehir Road. It had been made in two different types; that are for usage in summer (summer resort) and for usage in winter as winter house.
Obruk Inn
It is on the Konya - Aksaray Road. It is very typical Seljuk Inn
 

MEVLANA MAUSOLEUM AND DERVISH CONVENT (Center)

The idea to construct such a structure was originated from the will of Sultan-ul Ulema Bahaeddin Veledin, father of Mevlana, when he wanted to be burried there after his death in 1230 and the structure turn out to take its shape as a single tomb was built upon his grave. After the death of Mevlana,a tomb was built there by Pervane Muiniddin and his wife Gürcü Hatun. The tomb has taken its current dervish convent structre as further religious and social architectural additions were carried out. Succeeding to the death of Mevlana that is from 1273 improvements as to the dervish convent building continued and it was converted into a museum after the Proclamation of the Republic. In the museum there are properties belonging to Mevlana and other dervishes as well as valuable samples of hand-painted kerchiefs,handwritings, ornaments, wooden works of art and instruments of the Mevlevi music, carpets and pileless carpets.

The msot appealing section of the tomb is the Kubbe-i Hadra (Green Vault) above the graves of Hz. Mevlana and his son Sultan Veledin. Inside of the structure built by Architect Bedreddin during Seljuk Period in 1396 is coated with green tiles. The inner walls of the tomb was embellished with plaster relief and designs. The sarcophagus of Hz. Mevlana is one of the superior samples of wooden crafts of the period.Yet this high sarcophagus is above that of his father Sultan-ul Ulema Bahaeddin Veledin's.

On the north side of the tomb, there are Semahane( where Mevlevi dervishes perform the sema) and a small mosque constructed by Kanuni Sultan Süleyman in 16th century. Şeb-i Aruz Pool, on the other hand, is before the kitchen of the dervish convent. Within the frame of the annual commemoration ceremonies organized in the name of Mevlana, whirling dances of the Mevlevi dervishes( sema) around the pool are performed in certain days called as Şeb-i Aruz (Feast Day). Since the death of Hz. Mevlana was considered as a reunion with God, these days have been renamed as feast days. Most above all Hz. Mevlana is a great humanist, a perfect advocate of peace and a sage figure.
 

ALAADDİN MOSQUE (Center)
 
Konya is on Alaaddin Hill. The first Seljuk work of art dating back to 12th century, Alaaddin Mosque is not an organic whole since its plan has exposed to various changes in the course of time. On the magnificient pulpit of the first mosque made of ebony tree and dated 1155, there are epitaphs of Sultan Mesut and Kılıçaslan II and the names of Master Mengümberti on them.
 

Two different periods are observed in the mosque which is thought to have been constructed in accordance to the superiority of its pulpit as the most ancient Seljuk work of art.

 

AZİZİYE MOSQUE (Center)
As the first construction built by Mustafa Paşa in 1676 was destructed by a big fire in 1867, this mosque that has remained till today was constructed through the contributions of Abdülaziz and his mother Pertevniyal Hatunun in 1872

İNCE MİNARELİ MOSQUE AND THEOLOGY SCHOOL (Center)
On the western slope of the Alaaddin Hill, the theology school(medresseh) was constructed by Seljuk Vizier Sahip Ata in 1260. Despite of the splendid view of the crown gate, it is a plain and unadorned structure.

Sublime stone masonry presenting the grandeur of the Seljuk architecture demonstrate the most praiseworthy art since the French gothic.