Turkey Facts

The Hittites sold Abraham the cave where he buried his wife Sarah, when the Israelites came to Palestine.

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A follower of the Mevlana sect spins in a whirling dervish ceremony in Konya.

The Mevlana, or Whirling Dervishes

Konya

Area: 38.183 km²

Population: 1.750.303 (1990)

Traffic Code: 42

Districts: Konya (center), Ahirli, Akoren, Aksehir, Altinekin, Beysehir, Bozkir, Cihanbeyli, Celtik, Cumra, Derbent, Derebucak, Doganhisar, Emirgazi, Eregli, Guneysinir, Hadim, Halkapinar, Huyuk, Ilgin, Kadinhani, Karapinar, Karatay, Kulu, Meram, Sarayonu, Selcuklu, Seydisehir, Taskent, Tuzlukcu, Yazlihoyuk, Yunak.

Sites of Interest

Camlikoy, Yakamanastir, Kale, Huglu, Karaburun and Kiziloren forest recreation areas
Meram vinyards
Hot Springs
Ivriz stone relief
Beysehir Castle
Akmanastir (monastery)
Hagia Eleni Church
Sircali old theological school (medrese), Tacul Vezir old theological school (medrese) and Mausoleum, Ince Minareli Medrese, Ali Gav, Kucuk Karatay, Karatay and Ismail Aka (Tas Medrese) old theological schools (medrese)
Has Bey and Nasuh Bey Quran schools for children (darulhuffaz)
Seydisehir school for teachers (muallimhane)
Iplikci Mosque and school
Sadreddin Konevi Mosque and Mausoleum
Alaeddin Dursunoglu, Selimiye, Kapi, Aziziye, Esrefoglu and Pir Huseyin mosques
Sahip Ata, Karabas Veli and Lala Mustafa Pasha mosque complexes
Aksehir and Eregli Grand Mosques
Mevlana Mausoleum and Dervish Lodge
Nasreddin Hoca Mausoleum
Tas Mescit, Sircali Mescit, Karatay, Tahir and Zuhre, Altunkalem, Guduk Minare and Kucuk Ayasofya mescits (small mosques)
Yusuf Aga Library
Kubadabad Palace
Seyyid Mahmud Hayran and Seyh Sahabeddin lodges
Kizilviran, Sultan, Zazadin, Horozlu, Kadin, Ishakli and Kurucesme inns
Rustem Pasha inn (caravansary)
Konya Archeology, Karatay Tile Works, Konya Stone and Wood Works, Konya Monument Graves, Ataturk's House and Culture, Konya Ethnography, Konya Mevlana, Koyunoglu, Aksehir Stone Works, Aksehir, Ataturk and Ethnography, Eregli Museums

Cultural Resources and Organizations

Provincial Cultural Directorate, Telephone: (332) 353 40 20 - 21 - 22, Fax: (332) 353 40 23
Konya Turkish Sufite Music Ensemble Directorate, Mevlana Meydani Es'arizade Sokak No: 21, Konya; Telephone: (0 332) 350 42 29 - 30
State Fine Arts Gallery Directorate, Babiaksaray Mahalle, Mevlana Alani No: 21, Konya; Telephone: (0 332) 350 39 25, Fax: 353 40 23
Mevlana Museum, Mevlana Mahalle, Konya; Telephone: (332) 351 12 15
Archeology Museum, Larende Caddesi, Konya; Telephone: (332) 351 32 07
Museum for Tile Works, Address: Alaattin Meydani, Konya; Telephone: (332) 351 19 14
Museum for Monument Graves, Gazi Alemsah Mahalle, Sircali Caddesi, Konya; Telephone: (332) 352 80 22
Museum for Stone and Wood Works Eserler, Alaattin Meydani, Konya; Telephone: (332) 351 32 04
Ethnography Museum, Larende Caddesi, Konya; Telephone: (332) 351 89 58
Aksehir Museum, Dr. Aziz Perkun Cad. No: 94 Aksehir, Konya; Telephone: (332) 813 15 68
Eregli Museum, Bulvar Caddesi No: 16, Eregli, Konya; Telephone: (332) 713 45 92

Local Days of Celebration

12 June: Rose Festivity, Konya
3 August: Arrival of Ataturk at Konya, Konya
24 August: Aksehir Glory Day, Aksehir
4-12 September: Commemoration Day for Hadimi Hz. Hadim
10-11 September: Cooking Competition, Konya
24-28 October: Traditional Minstrel's Holiday, Konya
10-17 December: Commemoration Day for Mevlana, Konya

Expositions

5 August-5 September: Konya Exposition, Konya
10 December: Industrial and Export Products Exposition Selcuklu

Festivals

11 June: Cakillar Strawberry Festival, Aksehir-Cakillar Town
30 July: Derebucak Wrestling Matches, Derebucak
30 September: Traditional Wrestling Festival, Konya

Festivities

13 June: Huglu Gun Celebrations, Beysehir
5-10 July: Aksehir Nasreddin Hodja Festivities, Aksehir
5-7 August: Economy and Development Holiday, Aksehir
17-18 August: Apple and Tufana Festivities, Eregli
18-20 September: Hadim Grape Harvest Festivities, Hadim
25-26 September: Turkish Jereed Games, Konya