KONYA - Mevlana and Whirling Dervishes
Konya
is one of the first inhabited cities in the history of mankind, and still
contains traces of many ancient civilisations which gives it the atmosphere of a
museum city. Because of its locations in the middle of the barren Anatolian
steppe, it used to be one of the most important trading centres on the Silk
Road. The fertile land around the city means Konya is also the heart of
Turkey’s grain industry, with farming a major industry. Steeped in tradition,
it is one of the most conservative and religious places in the country, and best
known as the adopted home of Celaleddin Rumi, the Sufic mystic who founded the
Whirling Dervish sect. Today it is still a centre of Sufic practice and
teaching, and one of the highlights for visitors is the Mevlana Museum, the
former lodge of the dervishes.
HISTORY
The history of Konya and its environment goes back to the Prehistoric Age,
with the earliest remains dating back to the 7th millennium BC. Catal Hoyuk, 50m
south of the city, dates back to this era and claims to be the oldest known
inhabited area in the world. The city was governed by Hittite, Phrygians,
Lydians, Persians, Iskenderun, Bergama, Roman and Byzantine States. It was an
important provincial town under the Romans, known then as Icunium, and was
visited by St Paul and St Barnabas who both delivered sermons here. The Seljuks
defeated the Byzantine army in the battle of Malazgirt in 1071 but failed to set
up a capital in Iznik and ended up holding the seat of the Seljuk Sultanate of
Rum, which controlled most of Anatolia, in Konya. The city was at its most
powerful during the 13th century when the sultans established a court of artists
and scholars, and constructed many beautiful and elaborate buildings, many of
which are still standing. This was also the era of Celaleddin Rumi, known as
Mevlana, who fled from Afghanistan and came to Konya in 1228. He later
established a centre for the teaching of mystic philosophy and Sufi practice,
encouraging his disciples to practise love, charity and tolerance. After the
Seljuks, the city was governed by the Karamanogullari and Ottomans.
