INTRO
Every Day
While Konya is famous for its closeness to the nearby Neolithic site of Catal Hoyuk, it is the invisible presence of the great Sufi poet and philosopher Rumi that charm you once you are in this city. Konya has a lot to offer to its visitors either spiritually or historically . So, if you are on a tight schedule, we can plan a perfect day trip for you to this amazing city either from Istanbul or Ankara. If you have two days than it would even be better so that we can add more interesting sites to your trip.
If you would like to see the whirling Dervish ceremonies than you will need the visit this city on Saturdays and overnight one night.
Itinerary for a day trip
Take the early morning flight to Konya arriving at 09:45. Your local guide will meet you at the Airport and start your tour in Konya. Your first stop will be to Catal Hoyuk Archeological Site which is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Since the 1960s, excavations have uncovered a densely packed Neolithic (New Stone Age) settlement which dates back 9000 years and the place is considered to be one of the first human settlements of the World.
After Catalhoyuk visit you will have your lunch break in one of the local restaurants and try Konya’s “ Etli Ekmek “ which is a long thin pita bread with meat.
After lunch you will arrive to the city center Konya and start exploring the trails of great Sufi poet and philosopher Rumi, starting with Mevlana Museum where you will be entering through the silver door which is inscribed with the words that go “ those who enter here incomplete will come out perfect “
Then you will move to Alaeddin hill where The Alaeddin Mosque was built on the site of Konya's old citadel dating from 1221 and today commands the Konya skyline. To one side of the mosque are the remains of the Seljuk Imperial Palace. The Karatay Madrasah, now a museum, displays bold and striking Seljuk ceramics. On the other side of the mosque, the Ince Minareli Madrasah of 1264 is remarkable for its marvelous baroque Seljuk portal.
In Konya the Archaeological Museum is of great interest to many tourists. The collection of the Museum is a varied one, from natural history to old kilims. Within the museum complex, the restored Azzettin Koyunoglu House illustrates the way of life of a prosperous Konya family of the last century.
If time permitting, we will also include the Village of Sille which is a 5000 years of old settlement 8 kilometers North of Konya which boasts of the Byzantine era Aya Elena Church (Hagia Elena Church) and several rock chapels with frescoes.
Transfer to Konya Airport to take the 20:25 flight back to Istanbul.
For 1 Night & 2 days trips
You will stay in beautiful boutique Hich Hotel one night
If it’s on a Saturday we will book you for the whirling dervish ceramonies in the evening
Day 2 – Today we will plan a day trip to Beysehir and on the way there, stop- over in Eflatun Pinar to see the Hittites stone-built pool monument built at the time of Hittite Empire. The spring lies inside the Lake Beysehir National Park 85 km west of Konya. During the late bronze Age, a sacred pool monument was built here. The monument was interpreted as a shrine to Plato during the Seljuk period.
Continue to Beysehir and visit Esrefoglu Mosque which is regarded as the oldest and biggest wooden columned mosque in Turkey. The mosque, which was built in the late 13th century, survived almost intact. Esrefoglu Mosque includes all the main elements of early Anatolian Turkish architecture , a hand-drawn ornament of wooden parts is the best-preserved traditional technique peculiar to Turkey and because of all those criteria’s the Mosque was submitted to tentative UNESCO World Heritage list in 2011.
After the mosque visit, have a lunch break by Beysehir Lake before returning back to Konya.
Take the evening flight back to Istanbul.
