Konya and the Mevlana Mausoleum

In the 12th–13th centuries Konya was the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. The mosques and madrasas around Alaeddin Hill — the Karatay and İnce Minareli madrasas — are among the finest examples of Seljuk stone carving and tilework.

Mevlana Jalal al-Din Rumi died in Konya in 1273. His mausoleum, the Green Tomb, was the heart of the Mevlevi lodge and has been the Mevlana Museum since 1927.

Every year from 7 to 17 December Konya holds the Şeb-i Arus ceremonies marking the night of Rumi's death, when whirling dervishes perform the sema. The nearby Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük is also a UNESCO site.