The ancient Turkish city of Konya

Konya is one of Turkey's oldest cities, serving as the capital of the Seljuk Empire during the 12th-13th centuries. Today, it stands as an important religious and cultural center in Turkey, renowned as the birthplace of the Sufi Whirling Dervishes and home to the Mevlana Museum. Located on the Anatolian Plateau in central Turkey at an elevation of 1,028 meters, Konya lies approximately 240 kilometers south of Ankara. Its history dates back to 3000 BC, having been inhabited by Hittites, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. The city reached its zenith as the capital of the Seljuk Empire (Sultanate of Rum) from the 11th to 13th centuries, leaving behind numerous Seljuk-style architectural marvels such as the Alaeddin Mosque built in 1220 and the ruins of Seljuk palaces.