Things to Do in Çumra: 5 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Çumra

• 2 Ancient City
• 1 Religious
• 1 Nature
• 1 Attraction

i Photo: Murat Özsoy 1958 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

1 🏺 Ancient City

Çatalhöyük

An ancient site dating to around 8000 BC, uncovered in excavations carried out in 1961. Çumra's history goes back 9,000 years.

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i Photo: Volker Höhfeld (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

2 🌳 Nature

Çumra Plain

The most fertile part of the Konya Plain. With extensive farmland supported by irrigation canals, the Çumra Plain is Türkiye's granary.

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3 🕌 Religious

Çumra Grand Mosque

Built in the Ottoman period, the mosque, with its stonework and wooden minbar, is the district's most important place of worship.

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4 🏺 Ancient City

Çatalhöyük Neolithic Settlement

Located on an area of about 14 hectares on the Southern Anatolian Plateau, within the boundaries of Çumra district in Konya. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012.

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5 📸 Attraction

Apa Dam

In Çumra district, it is known as a recreational spot visited by local people in the summer months.

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While you are in Çumra, you can also see the highlights of Konya province. These places are in other districts; Çumra is about 45 km from the provincial centre.

• Mevlana Museum and Mausoleum — 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.
• Karatay Madrasa (Museum of Tile Works) — 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.
• İnce Minareli Madrasa — 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.
• Alaeddin Hill and Mosque — 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.
• Sille — 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.
• Eşrefoğlu Mosque (Beyşehir) — 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".

Practical Information for Visiting Çumra

Suggested time

1 day

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn months (April–June, September–October)

Places to visit

5 places

• 🫓

  Etli Ekmek (meat flatbread)

  Konya's famous etli ekmek is also made in Çumra's traditional ovens. This dish holds an important place at local tables and is prepared using traditional recipes.

• 🍖

  Fırın Kebabı (oven-baked lamb)

  Prepared by slow-cooking lamb in a clay oven, fırın kebabı is one of Çumra's best-loved dishes.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Çumra

• 🏛️

  UNESCO World Heritage: Çatalhöyük

  Çatalhöyük was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2012 as one of the oldest settlements in human history. With its 9,000-year history, it sheds light on the origins of farming, art and social life.

• 🌾

  Farming Culture

  Çumra lies in the most fertile part of the Konya Plain, and farming culture forms the basis of the district's identity. Festivals held during the harvest season keep this tradition alive.

Local Products

• Çumra Kavunu (Çumra melon) — Çumra Melon was registered as a protected designation of origin on 15 April 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1080). Product group: processed and unprocessed fruits and vegetables and mushrooms. Registered by: Çumra District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry.
• Wheat — Wheat grown on the Çumra Plain comes from one of Türkiye's highest-quality wheat-producing regions.
• Sugar Beet — Sugar beet production in Çumra, supported by irrigation, is an important agricultural activity.

Economy

Çumra is one of Konya's most important farming districts. Wheat, barley, sugar beet and maize are the main agricultural products. Çumra Sugar Factory is the region's largest industrial establishment. Çatalhöyük's UNESCO heritage status is increasing its tourism potential.

How to Get to Çumra

Çumra is 45 km from Konya city centre. The Konya–Karaman highway passes through the district. Regular minibus and bus services operate.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Konya

Çumra: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Çumra Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Konya The province's 15 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Konya

• Ahırlı 3 places Ahırlı Plateau, Ahırlı Central Mosque and Çarşamba Stream
• Akören 6 places Akören Mound (Höyük), Dinorna and Gavurlar Hammam
• Akşehir 7 places Nasreddin Hoca Tomb and Museum, Akşehir Lake and Taş Medrese
• Altınekin 2 places Zıvarık Caravanserai and Altınekin steppe
• Beyşehir 7 places Beyşehir Lake, Eşrefoğlu Mosque and Kubadabad Palace Ruins
• Bozkır 10 places Zengibar Castle, Bozkır Dam and Bozkır Grand Mosque
• Cihanbeyli 5 places Tuz Gölü (Cihanbeyli Shore), Cihanbeyli Höyükleri (Mounds) and Cihanbeyli Grand Mosque (Ulu Camii)
• Çeltik 4 places Honamlı Yörük Settlement, Gökpınar Picnic Area and Çeltik Grand Mosque
• Derbent 2 places Derbent Boğazı (Derbent Pass) and Derbent Dam
• Derebucak 3 places Derebucak Plateau, Derebucak Canyon and Derebucak Çamlık Caves National Park
• Doğanhisar 7 places Doğanhisar Castle, Doğanhisar Grand Mosque and Grand Mosque
• Emirgazi 5 places Kötü Dağ, Eski Kışla and Emrullah Gazi Tomb
• Ereğli 5 places İvriz Dam, İvriz Rock Relief and Ereğli Museum
• Güneysınır 4 places Güneysınır Grand Mosque, Karagüney Plateau and Bardas Village Historic Buildings
• Hadim 8 places Hadim Castle, Göksu Valley and Hadim Grand Mosque (Ulu Camii)
• Halkapınar 5 places İvriz Rock Relief, İvriz Waterfall and Eskihisar Mound
• Hüyük 5 places Shores of Lake Beyşehir, Acem Nasuh Mosque and Hüyük Mound
• Ilgın 6 places Yalburt, Lageina and Ilgın Thermal Springs (Ilgın Kaplıcaları)
• Kadınhanı 5 places Kadın Hanı Caravanserai, Kadınhanı Grand Mosque and Kadınhanı Mounds
• Karapınar 7 places Meke Lake, Acı Lake and Meke Lake (Meke Salt Flat)
• Karatay 5 places Mevlâna Museum and Tomb, Karatay Madrasa (Museum of Tile Works) and İnce Minareli Madrasa (Museum of Stone and Wood Works)
• Kulu 6 places Düden Lake, Gökgöl Lake and Samsam Lake
• Meram 7 places Meram Vineyards, Sille Village and Aya Eleni Church
• Sarayönü 4 places Sarayönü Seljuk Palace Ruins, Sarayönü Grand Mosque and Sarayini Underground City
• Selçuklu 10 places Time Museum, Konya Tropical Butterfly Garden and Konya Science Centre
• Seydişehir 4 places Tınaztepe Cave, Suğla Lake and Vasada Ancient City
• Taşkent 3 places Taşkent Cave (İnönü Cave), Balcılar Canyon and Taşkent Grand Mosque
• Tuzlukçu 3 places Subatan Lake, Tuzlukçu Grand Mosque and Lake Tuz Views
• Yalıhüyük 4 places Gölcük Plateau, Historic Structures of Sarayköy and Yalıhüyük Mosque
• Yunak 8 places Yunak Castle Ruins, Yunak Grand Mosque and Yunak Mounds