Konya

Konya is situated in central southern Turkey at the lower edge of the vast Anatolian highlands, with the Taurus Mountain chain in the distance. The Hittites named this place Kuwanna almost 4,000 years ago.  The Romans called it Iconium.  In the first century A.D. the city witnessed the apostolate of saints Paul and Barnaba who played an important role in the evangelization of this area.

Konya was the capital of the Seljuk Empire between 1071 and 1308.  It was then assimilated to the Ottoman empire by Mehmet II (15th century).  From the first half of the 13th century it was the dwelling place of Gelâleddîn Rûmî, who passed into history as Mevlâna.  Poet and philosopher, he was the founder of the mystic-religious sect of the Whirling Dervishes, which still exist today.

We visited the Monastery-Mausoleum of Mevlâna which has a conical fluted dome of intense turquoise.  Konya is famous for the Whirling Dervishes.
              

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