Journey to Konya, the City of Spirituality

Konya, which carries the traces of a very rich culture and educates a very important Islamic scholar such as Mevlana, would be an exceptional ”land of heart”.What do you say to take the road to this beautiful land of hearts, which contains the most valuable and ancient works of Turkish history, to taste the meat and bread of Konya, which is a legendary .

We have prepared a Konya travel guide for you and wrote the places to visit in Konya. If you're ready, Let's set out and go through the steppes.

Konya, one of the most ancient settlements in Anatolia, is known as İkonium in ancient times.During the history of the Phrygian, Roman, Byzantine, Great Seljuk civilizations such as the city under the domination of the Anatolian Seljuk State for many years after the establishment of this state had been the capital.Konya, which came under the rule of the Karamanoğulları Principality in the 13th century, entered the Ottoman body when Fatih Sultan Mehmet ended the Karamanoğulları Principality.

Due to its geographical location, Konya, which had been a strategic city since ancient times, had developed as a city where important trade routes passed in the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. Today the city continues to develop as an important center of Turkey.

Where is Konya?

Konya is the largest province in area of ​​Turkey. Among the provinces close to Konya are Antalya, Ankara, Karaman, Aksaray, Nigde, Isparta, Afyon and Eskisehir. Konya is 709 kilometers from Istanbul and 263 kilometers from the capital Ankara.

Salt Lake, which is the second largest lake in our country, is on the border of Konya and Aksaray. Beyşehir Lake, Ereğli Lake and Akşehir Lake are also among the lakes close to Konya.

How to get to Konya?

Since Konya is one of the central points of Anatolia, transportation to the region is quite easy. You can reach Konya from Ankara via E90 via your private car in 3 hours. It is possible to reach Konya from Antalya  in 4 hours via your private car.If you don't have a private car, you can use Antalya car rental option and rent a car from our Antalya office at affordable prices. There are many places to see in Konya, renting a car can provide you with ease of movement.

You can also reach the region by plane, train or bus service.

Konya Attractions

Museum of Mevlana

The first place you should visit during your Konya trip is of course the Mevlana Museum. This dervish, which belonged to Mevlana at the time, can now be visited as a museum. When you come here, you can see the spiritually valuable manuscripts, dervish items, patience stones, Mevlana's robes, entarises and the Mevlana Mausoleum known as the Green Tomb.

How to get to Mevlana Museum?

Mevlana Museum is located in Konya Selçuklu and it is possible to evaluate different alternatives for transportation to the museum. Visitors coming from the bus station can take the tram stop to Alaaddin stop. It is a 5-10 minute walk from the stop to the museum.

For visitors arriving by the airport, the situation is similar. It is very easy to get to Mevlana Museum after going to Alaaddin stop from the airport.

Thin Minaret Madrasa

How to go to Thin Minaret Madrasa ?

Thin Minaret Madrasa, one of the most visited routes in Konya, is located in Selçuklu and is located on the west side of Alaaddin Hill. You can use public transport such as buses and trams, or you can prefer your private car to get to Thin Minaret Madrasa which is centrally located in the city.

Karatay Madrasah and Museum

Karatay Madrasah, which had an important place in the tile work of Anatolian Seljuk period, was built in the 13th century. When you visit here, you can see eye-catching tiles, ceramic plates and plaster finds from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods in and around Konya.

How to go to Karatay Madrasa and Museum?

Karatay Madrasah and Museum in Selçuklu can be easily reached by public transportation. Just walk down to Kültürpark or Zafer station and take a short walk. You can also reach the madrasah using the minibuses that pass in front of the old stadium.

Village of Sille

Sille Village; It is a 5000 year old settlement with traces from Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods. The village of Selçuklu district was an important center where different cultures lived together. This place is also rich in folk arts such as pottery, carpets and kilims.

How to get to Sille Village?

Transportation to the historic village of Sille, which is located 8 kilometers outside the city, can be reached by a 30-minute bus service. However, it is possible to travel this distance in a shorter time with your own vehicle or rental car and easily visit other beauties in the surrounding area.

Catalhoyuk  Ancient City

Konya'nın Çumra ilçesi sınırları içerisinde yer alan Çatalhöyük, Neolitik Dönem'in en eski yerleşim yerlerinden biridir. İlk ev mimarisi, ilk manzara resmi, ana tanrıça kültü ve inanç eserleri gibi özgün bulguları ile insanlık tarihine ışık tutan eşsiz bir bölgedir.

Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012, the city is a must-see location when you come to Konya.

How to get to Catalhoyuk Antique City?

Catalhoyuk Antique City is 40 kilometers away from the city center. It is possible to complete this distance in about 50 minutes via the D330 road.

Salt Lake

Turkey's 2nd largest lake located in Salt Lake; It is located at the intersection of Ankara, Konya and Aksaray cities. This lake, one of the world's largest saltwater lake that provides more than half of Turkey's salt needs.

Salt Lake, where birds such as flamingo, angi (angut) and avocet live together in salty environments, is a special point in terms of biodiversity.

How to get to Salt Lake

Salt Lake is located on the 166th kilometer of Konya-Ankara highway. You can take this distance in about 2 hours with your private car or rented car. After coming to Cihanbeyli district, which is on the right side of Ankara-Konya junction, you can witness the magnificent view of Salt Lake.