Konya
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Konya, the 7th biggest city in Turkey  is mainly known for the Whirling Dervishes. 
The Mevlana Dervish Festival takes place  every year from the 10th to the 17th of December. 

For more information & tickets: Tel: (0332) 353 4020 or Mevlana official website or Konya official Website. Be advised that tickets are sold well in advance, so decide yourself early, otherwise you will not get a place !



Where to sleep:
  • Hilton Garden Inn: Tel: (0332) 216 6000 . Next to the Mevlana Cultural Center and Mevlana Museum. 
  • Dedeman Hotel & Convention Center : Tel: (0332) 221 6600. A little bit on the outskirts, but nice



What to see: 
  • The Mevlana Museum: Aziziye Mah., Mevlana Cad. No:1, Karatay. Open from 09:30 to 17:30. Tel: (0332) 351 1215.
  • The Tombstone Museum: Open from 8:30am to 5:30pm
  • The Archeology Museum: Sahibiata Mahallesi, Meram, Konya. Tel: (0332) 351 3207. Established in 1901, moved in 1927 then again in 1962 where it is now. The museum displays Artefacts from various periods in human history. A prominent display is of a marble sarcophagus of the 3rd cent. BC
  • Atatürk Museum  
  • The Aziziye Mosque: very close to the Bazaar and 150m from the Mevlana Museum         
  • The Iplikçi Mosque: Mosque from the 13th century and restored 50 years ago.    
  • Alaaddin Hill: This small Hill, mainly a park in the middle of town, go and see the Alaaddin Mosque and some remains of the Seljuk Palace
  • Konya Tropical Butterfly Garden. Tel: (0332) 211 1120. Konya Tropical Butterfly Garden is the garden which has biggest butterfly flying field in Europe and first in Turkey. Open 09:00 - 17:30. closed on Mondays                                                     


Where to eat:
  • Gülbahçesi Konya Mutfagi: Gülbahçesi Sokak, No:3. They have a very nice terrace overlooking the Mevlana Museum, but they do not serve alcohol.                        
If you want to have a beer, raki or a glas of wine, the only places where you can get it is at the two main Hotels mentioned here


How to get there:
  • There are 8 direct trains daily from Ankara. It takes 2 hours with the new high speed train. Check here the train information

Health: 
  • Score Fitness Spa: Bedir Mah. Ataseven Cd. No:2/301-304 Selçuklu. Tel: (0332) 210 0011. They have Gym, Hamam and more


Around Konya:
  • Çatalhöyük: 50km South east of Konya (aprox. 1:15 h drive) is the famous Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük, part of the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2012.

Around Konya

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Beyşehir
Beyşehir is 1:30h west of Konya, the "city of the prince,"  77 km west of Konya on the shore of Beyşehir Lake.

Don’t miss visiting the Eşrefoğlu Mosque (An amazing beautiful Seljuk-style mosque all in wood from the 13th century). 
As the plaque in front reads: "It is a wooden mosque museum in terms of its superior wood and tile workmanship.
From the UNESCO Official website:   "The building is the biggest, best preserved wooden columned and roofed mosque in Islamic World" 


Close to the mosques is also  the very well known Taş Köprü (stone bridge)

Eflatun Pınar (30min from Beysehir) is the name given to a spring which rises up from the ground, creating an oasis and fountain. Very nice!
Sille (Village)

Sille is a small village about 20min drive from the city center. This village used to be inhabited by Greeks for over 800 years, but they all left In the population exchanges between Greece and Turkey in 1923.

Pictures of Sille (Village) here below are taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
General view of the village ; The former Greek orthodox church of Agia Eleni and The inscription in Karamanli Turkish on the entrance of the former Greek Orthodox church of Agia Eleni.
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