(Part 4) Traversing Turkey: "Konya" Feel the Magic?

- Dec. 25, 2019, Wednesday, Christmas Day.

- Hitting the road on Christmas Day is never fun - there's no time to settle down, reflect, and celebrate. However, our stopover for Christmas was not any less holy. The city of Konya has made its mark in Anatolian history since time immemorial, but it is mostly known for its reputation as the birthplace of the whirling dervishes, and the resting place of the Persian poet and scholar, Rumi (who also known as "Mevlana.")

- The main landmark to learn more about Sufism and its influence in Turkey is the Mevlana Museum. The museum also houses the tomb of Rumi, whose family migrated to Konya from Persia during the 1200s (Seljuk Era.) Rumi pretty much grew up in Konya, and founded the Mevlevi Order of Sufi Islam, a branch of Islam that deals with mysticism, and may be associated with either the two main sects of Islam (i.e. Sunni and Shia Islam.) The back facade of the museum is also a nice photo spot because giant letters that the name "Konya' stand there.

- The Mevlana Museum, apart from being a resting place of Rumi himself, used to be a lodge for the Sufi dervishes. These dervishes are known as "whirling dervishes," because unlike most Muslims who just kneel or stand while praying, these dervishes also use dance as a form of prayer. In a ritualistic manner, they whirl in a trance-like manner as an expression of joy and spirituality, while simultaneously receiving blessings from Allah. The dervishes are also known for their distinct white robes, especially the robes' lower part or "skirt part" that balloons up while they whirl.

Hello Konya!!

Sufi cemetery behind the museum (which used to be a dervish lodge.)

Entrance. The inscription says "ya Hazret-i Mevlana" or "oh hail, blessed Mevlana."

Inside the mausoleum.

Rumi's tomb.

Tile art, the big letters say "Allah."

Dome.

- Although we did not see actual whirling dervishes, I did see mannequins dressed up as dervishes, showing visitors how they lived back in the day when the Sufi order was more active. Among the rooms, the kitchen was the most revered. It is said that Sufi dervishes are "made" in the kitchen, as they enter the order through the kitchen and even when they die, they are cleansed in the kitchen. The Sufi kitchen is normally one of the largest rooms of the lodge, and is where most dervishes learn the ways of the order. Discipline is also learned through kitchen tasks.

Mannequins showing how dervishes learned the ways of the order in the kitchen.

Novice dervish learning how to do the sema (the whirling ceremony.)

A dervish in his room.

Simple, cozy accommodations.

- The Mevlana Museum also provides a good view of the Selimiye Mosque behind it, built by Ottoman ruler Sultan Selim II. It was built in the 1500s, and is still a functional mosque today.

Selimmiye Mosque.

Left: Mevlana Museum, right: Selimiye Mosque.

Since we didn't see the whirling dervishes there, I was fortunate enough to have a photo with a dervish statue.

- After leaving the museum area, we had another few hours' drive before our bus stopped for a restroom/snack break. Unlike most stops for using the toilet or buying snacks (and sometimes souvenirs too,) I was pleasantly surprised to behold the Sultan Hani Caravanserai across our stop. I didn't bother going in since I knew that it was quite empty (and I had limited time too,) but the exterior itself was a sight to behold. A caravanserai is a stopover for caravans (hence the name,) and in today's parlance, we could call this a "roadside inn." The Sultan Hani Caravanserai, built in 12th-century Seljuk-era Turkey, is one of Turkey's best preserved caravanserais from the Seljuk Era. 

Sultan Hani Caravanserai.

View from the entrance. The rectangular-shaped building inside is a small mosque. 

This ornamental honeycomb-like carving is called a "muqarna," and has origins in Persian and perhaps north-African architecture. Many Persian-influenced cultures from West, Central, and South Asia may have muqarnas in their buildings. 

Wall carving.

Christmas glow up - literally.

- That evening, we finally reached a favorite destination among many tourists - Cappadocia. Though it was already too dark to appreciate this land of caves, underground cities, and "fairy chimneys" by the time we reached Cappadocia, I had the next day to see the otherworldly beauty of Cappadocia!!

- Don't forget to read about my other adventures in Turkey:

Part 1, Troy and the Trojan Horse: here

Part 2, Virgin Mary's House and Ephesus: here

Part 3, Laodicea on the Lycus and the Alien Travertines: here

Part 5, Cappadocia: here

Part 6, Istanbul's Royal Old Town: here

Part 7, Istanbul Between Continents: here

Part 8, Istanbul's Secrets: here

Part 9, Istanbul on New Year's Eve: here