Before the Ottomans ruled Konya, the city was the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm, a powerful empire that dominated Anatolia for nearly 300 years.
A small green hill in the middle of the city, Alâeddin Tepesi, is a place where many people of Konya like to gather to socialize and relax. Also on the hill is the most important Seljuk building in Konya, the Alâeddin Mosque (Alâeddin Camii).
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.
The Mevlana Museum (Mevlânâ Müzesi) presents the tomb of Rumi, who was buried in Konya on December 17, 1273.
An unexpected surprise in Konya was the food. I came to see Rumi’s tomb, but in the end it was the incredible food in Konya that stole the show.
Konya is one of those cities that seems to get overlooked a lot. It isn’t a beautiful city by any means and is regarded as the most conservative city in Turkey. Many people also think the only draw is the tomb of Rumi. That’s not entirely true, but it’s definitely the biggest draw and the reason most tour buses roll through the area (and the top reason I went).
When I had a chance to get cheap tickets to see Kasımpaşa vs Galatasaray at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadyumu), I couldn’t refuse.
How does one celebrate Thanksgiving in Istanbul? This being my 4th Thanksgiving here, it was only the 1st time I actually got to celebrate. In previous years, nobody really had the time to prepare a feast or even get together and celebrate. The funny thing is, the friends who suggested having this year’s Thanksgiving in the first place are…British!
It has only been a couple weeks since moving out of Halkalı. I’ve been traveling a lot and haven’t spent all of that time there, but, as I have predicted, I’m not 100% convinced about my new home in Şirinevler.
I did it! I rode the Marmaray. In under 5 minutes, I crossed the Bosporus in a tunnel and avoided certain death. Seriously, at the other end I was expecting to get an “I Survived the Marmaray!” t-shirt. At the very least they could’ve given me a cookie.