We t is the cardio from Chicken. Konya, a city away from a million souls, leg squats smack in the middle of Anatolia’s crazy simple, enclosed by open, endless prairie. Turkey’s most culturally conservative city, Konya appears to start with to get an area off rigid headscarves and you will foreboding beards, regarding ostentatiously observed pieties and you can taboo drinks. But discovering Konya is straightforward – getting right here, in the middle of one’s dated area, within his tomb out of turquoise ceramic tiles, is actually Jelaluddin Rumi.
Rumi is among the world’s extremely discover poets. During their lives, and since their passing within the 1273, pilgrims have come to help you Konya. Now, Rumi’s tomb try Turkey’s 2nd most-went along to tourist appeal adopting the Topkapi Palace inside Istanbul. Rumi was a mystic, a beneficial Sufi saint exactly who cherished all the religions, and you will whoever individual faith was love. Their followers carry out (nonetheless create) reduce by themselves for the hypnotic trance and you will moving, either rotating such as for example passes for hours.
There is a huge, unbelievable the fresh new municipal auditorium in which which delicate spinning peoples ballet is performed, and any amount of pleasant glossy-eyed mystics when you look at the carpeting stores, cafes and you may medieval bazaars, most of the pleased so you can receive one to a private zikhr
These types of spinning dervishes are now the newest symbol regarding Turkey’s tourist procedures, and you may sip teas on your Istanbul resorts reception seeing particular poor bloke when you look at the a tall beige felt cap spinning to own their entertainment. Towards real thing, even in the event, started heree so you can Konya while arrived at Turkey’s soul. In Rumi’s words:
“Anybody who you will be, come Even although you can be An enthusiastic infidel, good pagan, or an effective fireworshipper, been The brotherhood isn’t certainly anxiety If you keeps broken Your own vows away from repentance a hundred moments, started.”
Pretty much every year because the 1983, I’ve been upcoming toward a few billion-or-therefore tourist whom go to Konya a-year. Most are Turkish, many Iranians (who claim Rumi as his or her very own, since the the guy blogged within their vocabulary and you may grew up in east Persia) along with improve pilgrimage.
In the place of and come up with Konya a halt towards the a bus tour, I would suggest staying for most months, soaking-up the feeling, eating the Turkey’s ideal mutton, watching its top Seljuk buildings and you can – possibly – shedding crazy about Rumi. You could travel from inside the cheaply regarding Istanbul, from where there is a scruffy, atmospheric show, otherwise arrive by-road. Konya is within simple started to of your own cavern dwellers and you will carpet manufacturers away from Cappadocia.
Rumi turned up here because the a good boy, when Konya had started a location for 2,000 ages. It absolutely was mainly based from the Hittites, who had been succeeded by the Phrygians, then the Lydians, Persians, Cappadocians, the leaders out of Pergamon plus the Romans, just who known as lay Iconium. Saints Paul and you may Barnabus one another preached here, however, because of the 1071 new Seljuks, a good Turcoman tribe, were in charge, in addition to their architectural heritage suffers.
Their Karatay Medrese regarding 1251 was a masterpiece out-of elaborate tiling and you can good domes. It is today the fresh new Art gallery of Tiles and Ceramics, whoever content take care of the vibrancy and punch that they had whenever earliest discharged. Close by, brand new Ince Minarali Medrese has grown to become the Museum of Brick and you will Wood Carving, and that is much less inactive than just You will find managed to get sound. These buildings whet your appetite to get the ornately tiled Sircali Medrese, additionally the fantastic Sahip Ata mosque: in place of a lot of the newest Muslim community, in the Chicken you are motivated to head to mosques, any your own spiritual needs.
During the junction of one’s dated city as well as unattractive this new neighbour ‘s the Alaaddin mosque, the fresh new city’s vantage area, whoever breathtaking dark pulpit and sensitive prayer-market are from 1155 (brand new cutting-edge are finished in 1221). The fresh new boulevard radiating from here will bring you to definitely Rumi’s tomb, of which much more after. Rumi could Turks because the Mevlana (the newest Sainted One), and after this Konya is actually thrall to Mevlanamania.
As i basic emerged, Mevlana’s followers, the new Mevlevi, were a prohibited organization, accepted only for its “folkloric dancing” and you can whirlings. Conferences took place covertly, illegally.
I pointed out eating, as well. Konya’s mutton-centric food is very good. Etli ekmek is an extended, thin roll-right up pizza pass on having delicately spiced mince, and Konya kebab was a mutton shank, extremely more sluggish roasted and you will served toward a pillow away from money that have a sweet red onion. The most effective is at Konak (Restoran, Akcesme mah. Piriesat Cad. No 5, +90 332 352 85 47) https://kissbrides.com/no/blogg/hotteste-kvinnene-i-verden/, whose soups and you can home made yogurt try heaven-generated.
Ergo, wondrously given, and with of a lot cups of nice tannic teas in you, build your treatment for Rumi’s tomb. Your join the awestruck, the fresh new interested in addition to fervent. A strange twinkly white plays for the tombs of Rumi and his followers. This new structure was embroidered having calligraphy, and ceilings are a good kaleidoscope off splendidly performed arabesques. Rumi’s tomb is covered inside vastly padded content of silver, and you may generally seems to radiate light and you may comfort and mercy.
Are common moved, for listed here is like
A number of their other pilgrims have a tendency to discover Korans, although some Rumi’s poetry. Extremely need photo, although this is strictly taboo. You’ll find people that weep silently, and people who make fun of out loud; individuals who reflect all day long, and those who hurry courtesy.
To relax and play on the side and you will insinuating alone to your awareness is the ney, an effective reed flute. It sounds instance breathy sky, it is actually the sound away from flames, and that goes up and you can drops in to the people. It is not certain sullen spiritual complaining, although voice from wanting, regarding communion, of your own cardiovascular system. You have got it – it is soul music, and it really supplies you with. Therefore become.
Turkish Airlines (020-7471 6666) flies in order to Konya thru Istanbul regarding Heathrow, Stansted, Birmingham and Manchester, out-of ?219 rtn inc taxation. Istanbul in order to Konya because of the rail will set you back from all over ?24 return, or about ?thirty six return by coach. Resorts Balikcilar enjoys room or just around ?70 (while having serves cold drinks). Resorts Dergah (+ninety 332 351 76 61) bedroom to ?20. Passes observe the fresh new spinning dervishes are clear of new website visitors work environment, behind Mevlana’s tomb. Mete Horzum during the SeleneTour (+90 532 564 9192, ) organizes individual whirling and you will zikhr out of ?30pp.