Photo: Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source Konya is the largest province in Türkiye by area, the capital of the Anatolian Seljuks and the city of Mevlânâ. Its main stops are the green dome of the Mevlânâ Museum, the Karatay and İnce Minareli madrasas, Alaeddin Hill, the 9,000-year-old Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük and the wooden-columned Eşrefoğlu Mosque (both UNESCO World Heritage Sites), Kubadabad Palace, the Hittite water monument of Eflatunpınar, Sille, Lake Meke and Tınaztepe Cave. With 92 registered products, it has one of the richest cuisines in Türkiye.
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15 places worth seeing in Konya, from historic monuments to natural wonders, grouped by type. Open any of them on the map with a single click.
Photo: Saadet Armağan Güleç Korumaz, Ferruh Yıldız (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source On the shore of Lake Beyşehir, built by Alaeddin Keykubad I in 1226–1236, this is the only Anatolian Seljuk palace to have survived to the present day; the star-shaped tiles with figures recovered here are displayed in the Karatay Madrasa.
View on mapThe tomb in Akşehir where, according to tradition, Nasreddin Hoca is buried; it is open on all four sides and has only a locked door, which is considered fitting for the Hoca's sense of humour. The Nasreddin Hoca Festival is held every July.
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Photo: Murat Özsoy (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A Neolithic city in Çumra, inhabited for about two thousand years from around 7400 BC. With its adjoining houses entered through the roof, its wall paintings and its figurines, it is one of the first urban settlements in human history. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012.
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Photo: Caner Cangül (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source About 10 km from Lake Beyşehir, this 13th-century BC Hittite monument stands beside the pool where spring water emerges; its 7-metre-wide façade of gods and goddesses still serves its original function.
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Photo: Klaus-Peter Simon (CC BY 3.0) · Source A rock relief in the village of İvriz near Ereğli, dating from the 8th century BC, showing King Warpalawa of Tuwana praying to the fertility god Tarhunza; it is one of the most important works of Late Hittite art.
View on mapAn ancient settlement in the Kilistra (formerly Gökyurt) neighbourhood of Meram, reminiscent of Cappadocia with its houses, churches and cisterns carved into the rock; it is one of the places visited by Saint Paul.
View on mapThe remains of the walls and bastions of Isaura, the capital of the ancient region of Isauria, in Bozkır.
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Photo: Christian Mathis (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source On the hill in the city centre, the Alaeddin Mosque, which houses the tombs of the Seljuk sultans, and the remains of the Kılıçarslan II Pavilion; this is the oldest settled area of the city.
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Photo: Dosseman (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A mosque with 42 wooden columns in Beyşehir, built in 1296–1299 by Eşrefoğlu Süleyman Bey; it is the largest of Anatolia's wooden-columned mosques and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023 as part of the "Medieval Anatolian Wooden Hypostyle Mosques".
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Photo: Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source The mausoleum and dervish lodge of Mevlânâ Celâleddîn-i Rûmî, a museum since 1926. With the tomb known as the Green Dome, the semahane (whirling hall), the dervish cells and manuscripts of the Masnavi, it is one of the most visited museums in Türkiye.
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Photo: Haluk Cömertel (CC BY 3.0) · Source A madrasa built in 1251 by Emir Celaleddin Karatay; its dome, covered in turquoise and navy-blue tiles, is a masterpiece of Seljuk tile art. Today it is the Museum of Tile Works, where the tiles of Kubadabad Palace are also displayed.
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Photo: Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source A darülhadis (hadith school) built in 1264 by the vizier Sahip Ata, with Kölük bin Abdullah as its architect; it is famous for its richly carved portal. Today it is the Museum of Stone and Wood Works.
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Photo: Zeynel Cebeci (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A lake in Karapınar, inside a maar crater formed by a volcanic gas explosion; with the volcanic cone in its middle, it is known as the "Evil Eye Bead of the World". In recent years it has largely dried up because of drought.
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Photo: Tınaztepe (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source In Seydişehir, with a total length of 22 km, it is one of the longest caves in Türkiye; a 1,580-metre section is open to visitors, and there are underground lakes inside.
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Photo: Wiki leylek (CC BY 4.0) · Source A village 8 km north-west of the city where Greeks and Turks lived together for centuries; it is known for the Aya Eleni Church, which goes back to the 4th century, its rock-cut chapels and its stone houses.
View on mapKonya lies on the broad Konya Plain in the south of Central Anatolia and, at about 40,000 km², is the largest province in Türkiye by area. Çatalhöyük (Çumra), one of the oldest urban settlements in human history, was inhabited for about two thousand years from around 7400 BC; with its wall paintings and adjoining houses entered through the roof, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012. In antiquity the city was known as Ikonion; Saint Paul also preached in Ikonion and in nearby Lystra (Kilistra).
Konya’s golden age came in the 12th and 13th centuries, when it was the capital of the Anatolian Seljuk State. The mosque and pavilion remains on Alaeddin Hill, the Karatay Madrasa (1251), the İnce Minareli Madrasa (1264) and the Sırçalı Madrasa are the masterpieces of this period. Mevlânâ Celâleddîn-i Rûmî (1207–1273), who came from Balkh and settled in Konya, lived and died here; his dervish lodge is now the Mevlânâ Museum, one of the most visited museums in Türkiye. 17 December, the anniversary of Mevlânâ’s death, is commemorated with the Şeb-i Arûs ceremonies.
After the Seljuks, Konya passed to the Karamanids and, from 1467, to Ottoman rule. Today, with agriculture (wheat, sugar beet), industry and services, it is one of the major cities of Türkiye. The Eşrefoğlu Mosque and Kubadabad Palace in Beyşehir, the Nasreddin Hoca Tomb in Akşehir, the İvriz relief in Ereğli and Tınaztepe Cave in Seydişehir are treasures scattered across the province’s wide territory.
Konya has a continental climate: winters are cold, and summers are hot and very dry. Averages for 1927–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month | Avg. high | Avg. low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.8 °C | −4.1 °C | 37 mm | 10 |
| February | 7.0 °C | −3.3 °C | 28 mm | 8 |
| March | 11.8 °C | −0.2 °C | 29 mm | 9 |
| April | 17.6 °C | 4.4 °C | 31 mm | 9 |
| May | 22.3 °C | 8.6 °C | 43 mm | 10 |
| June | 26.7 °C | 12.7 °C | 25 mm | 7 |
| July | 30.2 °C | 16.0 °C | 8 mm | 2 |
| August | 30.3 °C | 15.8 °C | 6 mm | 1 |
| September | 26.1 °C | 11.1 °C | 14 mm | 3 |
| October | 19.9 °C | 5.9 °C | 29 mm | 6 |
| November | 13.2 °C | 0.9 °C | 32 mm | 6 |
| December | 6.7 °C | −2.2 °C | 43 mm | 10 |
April to June and September to October are ideal for a city visit. Annual rainfall is only about 325 mm. The Şeb-i Arûs ceremonies are held every year between 7 and 17 December; buy tickets for the sema performances in advance. In summer, days are hot and nights are cool.
By high-speed train: Konya has been linked to Ankara by YHT since 2011 (about 1 hour 45 minutes), and there are also direct high-speed train services to Istanbul.
By air: Konya Airport (KYA) is about 15 km north-east of the city centre; there are regular flights from Istanbul.
By road: Konya lies at the junction of the roads to Ankara (about 260 km), Antalya (about 300 km), Aksaray, Karaman and Afyonkarahisar. The tram network within the city is extensive.
Day 1 – Seljuk Konya: In the morning, the Mevlânâ Museum and Selimiye Mosque, then the Karatay Madrasa and Alaeddin Hill. Etliekmek for lunch; in the afternoon, the İnce Minareli Madrasa and Sahip Ata Complex. In the evening, fırın kebabı and a sema performance (Mevlânâ Culture Centre).
Day 2 – Çatalhöyük and Sille: In the morning, the Çatalhöyük excavation site and the experimental houses; in the afternoon, the Aya Eleni Church and rock structures in Sille.
Day 3 – Beyşehir: The wooden columns of the Eşrefoğlu Mosque, Eflatunpınar and sunset on Lake Beyşehir; Kubadabad for those who wish.
In TÜRKPATENT records, Konya cuisine, with 92 geographical indications, is among the provinces with the most registered products in Türkiye. The best-known flavours are the long Konya etliekmeği (meat-topped flatbread), made with wafer-thin dough and minced meat; Konya fırın kebabı (oven-roasted lamb), in which lamb is cooked in large ovens; Konya bamya çorbası (okra soup); Konya tiridi; the Konya sac arası dessert; Konya etli düğün pilavı (wedding rice with meat); Konya höşmerimi (a milk-based dessert); Konya tandır çorbası (tandır soup); Konya kıtırlı mantı (crispy dumplings); Konya peynir şekeri (cheese candy); Konya badem helvası (almond halva); and Sille kurabiyesi (Sille biscuits). From the districts, Akşehir tandır kebabı (Akşehir tandır-roasted meat), Akşehir peynir baklavası (Akşehir cheese baklava), Kadınhanı tahinli pidesi (Kadınhanı tahini flatbread), Ilgın haşhaşlı kömbe (Ilgın poppy-seed bread), Karapınar kavurgası (Karapınar fried meat), Seydişehir leblebisi (Seydişehir roasted chickpeas) and Bozkır tahini (Bozkır tahini) are registered.
Products: Akşehir kirazı (Akşehir cherries), Ereğli beyaz kirazı (Ereğli white cherries), Hüyük and Seydişehir çileği (Hüyük and Seydişehir strawberries), Çumra kavunu (Çumra melons), Ereğli siyah havucu (Ereğli black carrots), Derbent and Derebucak Gembos şeker fasulyesi (Derbent and Derebucak Gembos sugar beans), Atlantı Dededağ tulum peyniri (Atlantı Dededağ goatskin-cured cheese) and Karapınar koyun yoğurdu (Karapınar sheep’s-milk yoghurt).
Konya has a deep-rooted tradition of carpet and kilim weaving: the Karapınar halısı (Karapınar carpet), Karapınar tülü dokuması (Karapınar tülü weaving), Emirgazi halısı (Emirgazi carpet), Nuzumla kilimi (Nuzumla kilim) and Nuzumla yatak halısı (Nuzumla bed carpet) have registered geographical indications.
Konya province has 31 districts. Explore the places to visit, local dishes and transport in each one.
An etliekmek with a registered geographical indication, baked with minced meat on thin, long dough.
A kebab with a registered geographical indication, in which lamb is cooked in large ovens.
A soup with a registered geographical indication, made with dried okra and meat.
A syrupy dessert with a registered geographical indication.
A tirit (bread-based meat dish) with a registered geographical indication.
A wedding pilaf with a registered geographical indication.
The main stops are the Mevlânâ Museum, Karatay Madrasa, İnce Minareli Madrasa, Alaeddin Hill, Sille, Çatalhöyük, Eşrefoğlu Mosque, Kubadabad Palace, Eflatunpınar, the İvriz relief, Lake Meke, Tınaztepe Cave and the Nasreddin Hoca Tomb in Akşehir.
Yes. The Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012.
Etliekmek, fırın kebabı, bamya çorbası, tirit, sac arası, etli düğün pilavı and höşmerim. Konya has 92 registered geographical indications.
These are ceremonies, generally held between 7 and 17 December, that end on 17 December, the anniversary of Mevlânâ's death.
By high-speed train, the journey takes about 1 hour 45 minutes.
April to June and September to October are the best times; December is preferred for Şeb-i Arûs.
The information in this guide has been compiled from and checked against the sources below (last checked: 8 October 2026). If you spot an error, please let us know.