Konya

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Tourists envisaging to visit Asia Minor and to pass by Konya in the month of December; observe the activities organized here by passionate people coming from Turkey and all the corners of the world with awe and amazement. These activities reaching their peak with the Seb-i Arus (Night of Union) celebrations on the 17th of December, are held to commemorate Mevlana, an extraordinary person who has greatly influenced our old world's history of belief, although he was not a Prophet.

Mevlana, his real name being Muhammed Jalaladdin, or his most popular name being Mevlana Jalaladdin Rumi, has such a big influence in this city that, in, Turkey, the city of Konya cannot be remembered without Mevlana. This God-loving spiritual master in love with divine love, this Sufi and poet has identified himself with Konya, where he lived almost uninterrupted from his arrival in Konya in 1228 (1225 according to another view) until 1273, the year he died. History of Konya The city's history dates back to old ages. The extraordinary rich archeological site, Çatalhöyük, mentioned in the Foreword, is only 65 km., from Konya. The settlement dating back to 7. BC., has been discovered by the famous archaeologist James Mellaart and excavatd starting from 1958.As the excavatons progressed, the results led one to think that the site was more important and bigger than it was initially considered.

Besides, with the progressing excavations, nearly thousand houses built in continuous rowsystem found in the mid-sixties, have showed that Çatalhöyük is the world's biggest and most interesting settlement with respect to the age it belongs to. Objects found in the houses and temples and other clues prove that the community living here were hunters, and that at the same time they moved on to agricultural economy.

The excavations also revealed that by domesticating some animals, they started the first organized stock-breeding in history. Many wall paintings of extraordinarily high a esthetic and artistic value made with more than one color have been found on the walls of temples and houses. The most important of these wall paintings are presently decorating the halls of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara and have contributed greatly to making i.t one of the most important archeological fuuseums of the world. The discoveries from the excavations in the Canhasan Mound in Karaman near Konya, have led to a lot of valuable information regarding the Neolithic arid Chaleolithic ages. In addition, in the excavations carried out in Karahöyük in the close vicinity of Konya, a lot of discoveries have been made about the bronze age and the Hittite period. In short, this region that holds a lot of mounds that are still untouched, has great importance being a region where men have lived since the beginning of history and reached a high level of civilization.

In the excavations done at the Alaadin Hill in the city's present settlement, certain findings have been attained dating back to 3000 BC, the Chaleolithic Age" All through the years starting with 2001 BC, the region has remained under the sovereignty of the Hittites. As a result of the raids of the "Sea Tribes" commencing after 1200 BC, the Hittite State fell down, and this region came under the rule of one of the nation,s coming from the sea, the Phyrigians. The Phyrigians also set up and developed an important city in the city's present location. A Phyrigian legend refers to this city as "the first city founded after a big rainstorm." This city was ruined completely in the VII. century BC by the Kimmerians passing by Asia Minor as they escaped from the Assyrians. After the Kimmerians left, the region remained under the influence of the Lydians after which it was overtaken by the Persians towards the middle of the VI. century BC. During the years 334-333 BC, following the death of Alexander the Great, who had saved Asia Minor from the Persian sovereignty, his generals started sharing the empire, and the Konya region remained in Lysimachus' share. Following a confusion period, the area entered the rule of the Seleucidae, and later became part of the Kingdom of Pergamum.

After the Kingdom of Pergamum fell down in 133 BC, the rule of the Roman Empire started. The city called "lconium" or "lkonion" during the Roman period, developed significantly and became the governing center of the Proconsulate of Asia Minor. Its name became "Claudiconium" during Emperor Claudius' rule. During the period of Hadrian's rule, it was described as "Colonia Aelia Hadriana" (Hadrian's Aelian Colonies) and "called "Augusta Iconiensium." The city's present name, Konya, no doubt originates from "Iconium" that always appeared in the city's Roman names. The city where Saint Paul and Apostle Barnabas visited and stayed in 47, SO and 53 AC respectively, preserved its significance during the Byzantine Empire as well and developed as a bishopric center. However, lying on the road of the Arab raiders, it was burnt down and ruined three times during the VII., VIII. and IX. centuries.

The city was conquered for a short period for the first time by the Seljuk Turks in 1069 and was recaptured by the Byzantines later on, only to be conquered again by the Seljuks in 1081 while they were quickly conquering Asia Minor after the victory of the Malazgirt War (1071). In spite of the short few months' sovereignty of Frederich Barbarossa's armies during the Crisades of 1097 and 1190 respectively, the Turkish rule in Konya continued. Being the capital of the Anatolian Seljuks, Konya became ornamented with beautiful buildings, especially during the rule of Alaeddin Keykubad (1219-1236). Unfortunately, following the Mongolian Invasion that started in 1243, after the ilhanh Period, the city quickly regressed.

After the fall of the Anatolian Seljuks and the abandonment of Anatolia by the Mongolians' , the city was under the rule of the Karamanids and was tonquered by Yildirim Bayezid in 1397. Although the:' Karamanids dominated the city again during the Timur invasion, Mehmed II. the Conqueror finally declared the region a part of the Ottoman land in 1466. Konya was rebuilt and enriched with beautiful and prominent buildings during the Ottoman rule. The main reason of the significance of Konya as a city throughout history is no doubt the vast plain it dominates. This vast plain called the Middle Anatolian Plateau and more specifically the Plain of Konya has been and still is the grain silo of Turkey. The soil that is tired from ceaseless cultuvation for thousands of years is facing severe erosion danger also due to the destruction of forests. Although this wide plain can only be cultivated by following method because of the above reasons, owing to its incredible size, It still remains as one of the most important graih producing areas of Turkey.

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