Top 10 best tourist places in Konya, Turkey

By We Find You Go - 2017-03-28

When you plan your visit to Turkey there is a city in Central Anatolia named Konya, also known as the city of Whirling Dervishes, which one should never forget to visit. Konya is well renowned for its outstanding Seljuk architecture. The city lies on the flat ground with the exception of a small man-made hill called Alaatin Tepesi. During the Seljuk period, the purpose of this man-made hill was, so the emperors could easily watch the city below from their palace. Most sites of interest are clustered in the city center and are within walking distances from each other.

10) Mevelana Museum

The city’s main sight seeing attraction is this Mevelana Museum having a distinctive green conical dome. In this museum, there is a tomb of the great philosopher, poet, and a religious leader of Turkey named as Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi. Before the museum, this place used to be a mausoleum and a dervish lodge. Several sections were added into the museum in 1854 as the interior was decorated by Selimoğlu Abdülvahit, who performed woodcarvings of catafalques. Upon an official order on 6th of April 1926, the place was confirmed to be converted into a museum and later on was opened on 2nd March 1927. The museum is housed with invaluable carpets, artifacts, metal and wooden objects including a display of the holy book, the Quran. A library is also built in the museum that holds more than 1,700 manuscripts along with 500 books. Some of the tourists that wish to gain info info more deeply, there are information boards that allows you fully understand the sufism’s history and culture.

9) Sille

Sille is a district which is basically 7000 years old, located at eight miles northeast of Konya which is well known for its ancient history. With its profusion of churches including The Saint Elena church and one of the world’s oldest and largest monasteries, The White Monastery. Sille holds particular interest for christian pilgrims and tourists. Great built temples, inns, bazaars, monuments, wineries and arts with the increasingly level of prosperity has made Sille a prosperous place.

8) Alaeddin Mosque

The principal monument on the fortress of Konya is the Alaeddin Mosque also known as the Mosque of the Throne. Construction of mosque was started in the mid-12th century, during the reign of Sultan Ala al-Din Kayuqbad I and was completed in the mid-13th century. The main entrance of the mosque was changed from west to north in 1219 by adding monumental façade on the north side, facing the Seljuk Palace. With the passage of time there is a large room, supported by 42 Byzantine and Hellenistic columns, was also added to the east of mihrab. Eight of the Seljuk sultans of Rum are buried in this mosque.

7) Seljuk Tower

The tallest building in Konya and the 11th tallest skyscraper in Turkey is this magnificently built Seljuk Tower. This 163m long tower with 42 floors in Konya is a famous business and shopping center. The reason for constructing 42 floors of Seljuk Tower is that the license number plate for Konya is also 42. The Top 2 floors of the tower are housed by restaurants offering a panoramic view of the city. The green colored reflective glass is used on all over the building which makes it more attractive. Seljuk tower is constructed on the total area of the 50,000-meter square out of which 14,250-meter square area is for a shopping mall.

6) Konya Archaeological Museum

Konya Archaeological Museum was established in 1901. The museum is of old Turkish style and it had been repositioned twice before moving to its current position in 1962. The most famous exhibition in the museum is of Roman Sarcophagi and antiques from the ancient city of Çatalhöyük. Other displays narrate to the bronze age, iron age, neolithic, roman and many more. A prominent display in the museum is of a skeleton of a baby girl, grasping jewelry made up of bones and stones including one that describes the labors of Hercules in fabulous carvings.

5) Aziziye Mosque

Aziziye Mosque is an Ottoman mosque situated in the district of Karatay in Konya. The original mosque was constructed in 1676 by Damat Mustafa Pasha, son-in-law of Sultan Mehmet IV. It was ruined in the fire of 1867 and was rebuilt in 1874 by the mother of Sultan Abdul Aziz. Cut stone has been used in buildings main material and bluish marble has been used in the construction of Mimber and Mihrab. This double minaret mosque, with waterfalls adjacent to it, has an architectural style of both Boroque and Ottoman architecture. The main floor of the mosque is elevated and a ladder is used to reach that location. There is a balcony roof in each minaret which is supported with columns that make the mosque unique in Turkey.

4) Karatay Madrasa

Well maintained and beautifully designed Madrasa turned into a museum. Karatay Madrasa is a madrasa built in 1252; it belongs to the 24 teaching colleges in Konya, Turkey. Since 1955, this place is used as a museum. The collections of Karatay Museum was enriched by the collected items from Kubadabad Palace royal residence on Lake Beyşehir coast, at 80m from Konya to the west. Karatay Madrasa believed as Seljuk architectural small liberty of designs. Main features of the madrasa are its grand dome looks spectacular in its dark and the insertion of decoration schemes, ceramic mosaics of glazed tiles, sculpted stone, unglazed bricks, and ceramic tiles. The water pool in the center of the main hall has a curlicue drain to produce a musical ripple of water to calm those who study in the seminary.

3) Japon Kyoto Parki

Konya Japanese Park is the biggest japanese garden in Turkey, with a 36,000 square meter area which is one of the main attraction of this city. This Park was built in order to enhance the associations of brotherhood between “Konya” and “Kyoto”. This japanese themed friendship park was basically built in a combined collaboration with the municipality’s of Japan and Kyoto Konya. The Park is made in a fully Japanese traditional style including wooden bridges, bamboo water and Japanese plants. There is a cafeteria of 500 square meter which serves traditional Japanese food and buffet breakfast. This site has a great attraction and foreign guests show their great curiosity.

2) Alaatin Tepesi

Alaatin Tepesi is an artificial hill situated in Karatey district, Konya, Turkey. The hill is 450 x 350m long and 20m high, it was built by the Seljuk Sultan and Ottoman periods also sustained to be used as settlements (the prehistoric settlements called the mound). It was the last dig by the Turkish Historical Society in 1941. Today it is situated right in the center of the city. The small hill is protected with a concrete umbrella.

1) Konya Tropical Butterfly Garden

The one of the biggest magnetism in the Konya is “Konya Tropical Butterfly Garden”. It is the garden which has the largest butterfly flying field in Asia and Europe and first in Turkey. It was built in 2015, the covered area of the garden is 3,600 square meter and the total build up area is 7,000 square meter. In addition having a butterfly garden and plants nursery, its further public amenities comprises of a modern indoor museum, a souvenir shop, an underground walkway, cafe and a multipurpose hall. There are more than 60 kinds of butterfly species and more than 80 species of plants. Museum also displays more than 1000 insect specimens. When you pass from the flight area of the butterflies you’ll probably feel like you’re in wonderland.