"Konya" a Konya Travel Page by EricLe_Rouge

Konya is the city of dervishes, and has been for 800 years.

Located about three hours' drive south of Ankara, it's an extremely old city, its roots going back to Hittite times. Today it is the most religiously conservative city in Turkey--and proud of it.

Konya was the capital of the Seljuk Turkish Sultanate of Rum ("room," ie, Rome) which flourished in Anatolia from 1071 to 1275. Seljuk architecture is outstanding, and numerous great Seljuk buildings--mosques and theological seminaries mostly--are Konya's pride and joy.

During Seljuk times, Konya was the home of Jelaleddin Rumi (1207-1273), known to his followers as Mevlana (or Rumi), a Muslim poet and mystic and one of the great spiritual thinkers and teachers of all time.

If you come in early to mid-December you can witness the Mevlevi sema, or worship ceremony, in which the dervishes whirl for a quarter of an hour at a time in their quest for mystical union with the Divine.

Otherwise, Konya is an interesting place any time of year, with its historic buildings and savory baked mutton Konya kebap, though it can be difficult to get a beer or a glass of wine with dinner (strictly observant Muslims do not use alcoholic drinks at all).
From: http://www.infoexchange.com/Turkey/TurkeyMain.html
by Tom Brosnahan