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About 100 years after the fall of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm in 1307, the Ottomans conquered Konya and ruled for 500 years. Many different mosques and buildings stand in the city as evidence of their legacy.
Selimiye Mosque
Just outside the exit of the Mevlânâ Museum is the Selimiye Mosque (Selimiye Camii). It was built by Sultan Selim II when he was governor of Konya as a gift to his father, Süleyman the Magnificent. It was finished around 1570. The small Yusuf Ağa Library (Yusuf Ağa Kütüphanesi) was built as an addition to the mosque in 1795. Unfortunately for me, the interior of the mosque was under restoration during my visit.
Mengüc Street
Not too far away is Mengüc Street (Mengüc Caddesi), where there are some nicely restored Ottoman homes. Many of them are now used as shops or restaurants.
Aziziye Mosque
The Aziziye Mosque (Aziziye Camii) was my next stop. It was built in 1676 by Damat Mustafa Pasha and rebuilt in 1875 in a Baroque-Rococo style by Pertevniyal, mother of Sultan Abdülaziz, after a fire. Some interesting features stated on the info plaque: there are no columns inside and all the windows are larger than the doors. It, too, was undergoing heavy restoration and closed to visitors, so I had to admire it from the outside. Click here for a virtual tour.
Municipal Buildings
A short walk to Mevlânâ Street (Mevlânâ Caddesi) took me to the governorship building, the Konya Valiliği, and the main post office (Konya Büyük Postane). Both were built in the late 19th century.
Şerafeddin Mosque
Across the street is another historic mosque, the Şerafeddin Mosque (Şerafeddin Camii). It was first built in the 13th century by Sheikh Şerafeddin. In 1636, it was destroyed and rebuilt using its own material by Mehmed Çavuşoğlu Memi Bey. Click here for a virtual tour.
St. Paul Church
As I walked around Alâeddin Tepesi to get to some of the Seljuk monuments, I passed the St. Paul Church (Aziz Paulus Kilisesi), a small Catholic church built in 1910. I was a bit surprised to see a church in such a conservative Muslim city, but Konya, formerly Iconium, does have a prominent role in Christian history as well. St. Paul and St. Barnabas preached there around 47 AD, and St. Thecla was probably born there. Empress Helena (St. Helen) also passed through the city on her way to Jerusalem and commissioned a church at nearby Sille.
Modern Konya
Near the church I got to see some of the more modern parts of Konya.
