We t is the center from Poultry. Konya, a neighbor hood away from so many souls, squats smack in Anatolia’s wild ordinary, enclosed by discover, unlimited prairie. Turkey’s most culturally old-fashioned urban area, Konya looks to start with is an area from tight headscarves and you can foreboding beards, off ostentatiously seen pieties and you can forbidden drinks. But discovering Konya is easy – having here, in the centre of your dated area, within his tomb out of turquoise ceramic hendig lenke tiles, is actually Jelaluddin Rumi.
Rumi is amongst the world’s most read poets. Throughout his lifetime, and since their dying when you look at the 1273, pilgrims attended to help you Konya. Now, Rumi’s tomb try Turkey’s second really-decided to go to subscribers appeal following the Topkapi Palace inside the Istanbul. Rumi try a mystic, an excellent Sufi saint which treasured most of the religions, and you can whose individual faith are like. Their supporters perform (nonetheless do) dump by themselves in the trance and you will moving, often spinning such as for instance passes right through the day.
There clearly was a big, unbelievable the brand new municipal auditorium in which it tender spinning person ballet are performed, and one amount of pleasant shiny-eyed mystics in carpeting stores, cafes and medieval bazaars, all happier in order to ask you to a personal zikhr
These types of spinning dervishes are actually the new symbol of Turkey’s tourism procedures, and you may drink tea on your Istanbul resorts lobby seeing particular worst bloke inside a high beige sensed cap spinning to have your activities. To your real deal, in the event, started heree to Konya and you started to Turkey’s soul. From inside the Rumi’s terms and conditions:
« Anyone who you might be, started Even although you is generally An infidel, a pagan, or a fireworshipper, started Our very own brotherhood isn’t among anxiety Though you has busted Your own vows regarding repentance a hundred times, already been. »
Almost every year since 1983, I have already been future toward two mil-or-so tourist who go to Konya per year. Most are Turkish, while most Iranians (just who claim Rumi as his or her very own, once the the guy composed in their vocabulary and you will grew up in eastern Persia) in addition to make pilgrimage.
In place of and then make Konya a halt into the a shuttle trip, I would recommend becoming for a few weeks, soaking-up the feeling, food a few of Turkey’s most useful mutton, enjoying their greatest Seljuk frameworks and – possibly – falling in love with Rumi. You could potentially travel during the inexpensively from Istanbul, from which there’s also a great scruffy, atmospheric illustrate, or arrive by-road. Konya is actually easy started to of the cavern dwellers and you can carpet suppliers from Cappadocia.
Rumi showed up right here once the a great boy, when Konya had become a local for two,000 ages. It was founded from the Hittites, who had been succeeded of the Phrygians, then the Lydians, Persians, Cappadocians, the new leaders of Pergamon while the Romans, exactly who known as lay Iconium. New orleans saints Paul and Barnabus both preached here, but by the 1071 the Seljuks, a great Turcoman tribe, was in control, as well as their architectural history endures.
The Karatay Medrese away from 1251 was a masterpiece away from ornate tiling and you will unified domes. It’s today the latest Museum out of Tiles and Ceramics, whoever articles keep up with the vibrancy and strike they’d whenever basic discharged. Nearby, brand new Ince Minarali Medrese happens to be the new Museum off Brick and you will Timber Carving, which is a lot less deceased than just I’ve managed to make it sound. Both of these houses whet urge for food to find the ornately tiled Sircali Medrese, additionally the eye-popping Sahip Ata mosque: in the place of a lot of new Muslim business, for the Poultry you’re motivated to head to mosques, any type of your own religious tastes.
From the junction of one’s old area and its unattractive the new neighbor ‘s the Alaaddin mosque, this new city’s vantage point, whose beautiful black pulpit and painful and sensitive prayer-niche are from 1155 (the fresh state-of-the-art is completed in 1221). New boulevard radiating from here provides one to Rumi’s tomb, from which more afterwards. Rumi is known to Turks given that Mevlana (the fresh Sainted You to), and after this Konya is within thrall to help you Mevlanamania.
Once i basic emerged, Mevlana’s supporters, this new Mevlevi, was indeed a prohibited organization, accepted only for their « folkloric dance » and you can whirlings. Group meetings were held covertly, dishonestly.
I pointed out eating, also. Konya’s mutton-centric cuisine is very good. Etli ekmek is a long, slim roll-up pizza pie spread having delicately spiced mince, and you can Konya kebab are a lamb shank, most reduced roasted and you may served toward a cushion of dough with a nice red onion. The most effective was at Konak (Restoran, Akcesme mah. Piriesat Cad. Zero 5, +90 332 352 85 47), whoever soup and you will home made yogurt was paradise-generated.
For this reason, fantastically provided, sufficient reason for of numerous cups of sweet tannic teas in you, help make your answer to Rumi’s tomb. Your join the awestruck, the fresh curious together with fervent. A mysterious twinkly light performs into tombs out of Rumi and you can his followers. The latest walls was embroidered with calligraphy, while the ceilings are an excellent kaleidoscope from incredibly executed arabesques. Rumi’s tomb is covered when you look at the significantly embroidered material away from gold, and you may appears to radiate white and tranquility and you may mercy.
Are typical went, to possess listed here is like
A few of the fellow pilgrims will realize Korans, and others Rumi’s poetry. Most bring photo, while this is strictly taboo. There are those who cry gently, and those who make fun of out loud; those who reflect non-stop, and people who hurry as a consequence of.
To experience unofficially and you may insinuating in itself into your consciousness is the ney, an excellent reed flute. It sounds including breathy air, it is actually the voice from flame, hence goes up and you will falls in to the all of us. This is not particular sullen spiritual worrying, nevertheless the voice off craving, out of communion, of your cardiovascular system. You may have they – it is heart music, and it also really supplies you with. So started.
Turkish Airlines (020-7471 6666) flies to help you Konya via Istanbul of Heathrow, Stansted, Birmingham and you will Manchester, from ?219 rtn inc taxation. Istanbul so you’re able to Konya by rail can cost you throughout ?24 come back, or around ?thirty six come back by shuttle. Resorts Balikcilar enjoys room or about ?70 (while having caters to cold beers). Lodge Dergah (+90 332 351 76 61) rooms up to ?20. Entry observe the fresh new whirling dervishes was without the fresh new customers workplace, about Mevlana’s tomb. Mete Horzum on SeleneTour (+90 532 564 9192, ) organizes private spinning and zikhr away from ?30pp.