I t ‘s the cardio regarding Turkey. Konya, a district away from a million souls, leg squats smack in the middle of Anatolia’s crazy plain, surrounded by open, limitless prairie. Turkey’s very culturally conservative urban area, Konya looks at first to-be a location out of rigid headscarves and you can foreboding beards, away from ostentatiously seen pieties and you may taboo beers. However, uncovering Konya is easy – getting right here, in the centre of one’s dated area, inside the tomb regarding turquoise ceramic tiles, is Jelaluddin Rumi.
Rumi is one of the earth’s extremely see poets. During their lives, and since his demise from inside the 1273, pilgrims came to Konya. Today, Rumi’s tomb is Turkey’s second really-went along to travelers appeal pursuing the Topkapi Palace within the Istanbul. Rumi are a mystic, good Sufi saint exactly who appreciated all the religions, and you can whose very own religion was love. Their supporters manage (nevertheless would) cure on their own when you look at the trance and you may dance, both rotating such passes throughout the day.
There’s a large, unbelievable the fresh civil auditorium in which this sensitive spinning peoples ballet is did, and you can any amount of lovely shiny-eyed mystics inside the carpeting sites, cafes and medieval bazaars, most of the delighted in order to ask that a personal zikhr
Such whirling dervishes are now the brand new symbol from Turkey’s tourism tips, and you may drink tea on your own Istanbul resorts reception enjoying particular terrible bloke in a tall beige felt hat spinning to possess their amusement. To your real thing, although, started heree in order to Konya therefore started to Turkey’s soul. In the Rumi’s terms:
“Anyone who you might be, come Even though you tends to be An enthusiastic infidel, a pagan, otherwise a good fireworshipper, been Our brotherhood is not certainly one of anxiety If you keeps broken The vows out-of repentance one hundred minutes, become.”
Almost every seasons since 1983, I have been future towards the several mil-or-therefore tourists exactly who see Konya per year. Some are Turkish, while most Iranians (who allege Rumi because their individual, while the he typed in their vocabulary and you may was born in east Persia) and additionally make pilgrimage.
Instead of making Konya a stop for the a coach journey, I recommend existence for a few days, taking in an impression, dining the Turkey’s ideal lamb, watching its finest Seljuk architecture and – possibly – falling crazy about Rumi. You might fly from inside the cheaply from Istanbul, that addititionally there is good scruffy, atmospheric teach, or come by road. Konya is in easy come to of the cave dwellers and you can carpet providers from Cappadocia.
Rumi showed up here while the good boy, when Konya got already been a neighbor hood for a couple of,000 decades. It actually was oriented because of the Hittites, have been succeeded by Phrygians, then your Lydians, Persians, Cappadocians, new leaders off Pergamon together with Romans, exactly who known as place Iconium. New orleans saints Paul and Barnabus both preached here, but by 1071 the Seljuks, a good Turcoman group, were in charge, as well as their architectural legacy endures.
The Karatay Medrese out of 1251 are a masterpiece regarding ornate tiling and you may good domes. It is today this new Art gallery away from Ceramic tiles and Ceramics, whose content material take care of the vibrancy and you may punch they’d whenever first discharged. Nearby, new Ince Minarali Medrese grew to become the new Museum regarding Stone and you can Timber Sculpture, which will be much less lifeless than You will find caused it to be sound. These two property whet your appetite to obtain the ornately tiled Sircali Medrese, and the stunning Sahip Ata mosque: instead of most of the new Muslim globe, inside Turkey you are encouraged to head to mosques, whatever their spiritual preferences.
In the junction of the old city and its particular ugly the newest neighbor is the Alaaddin mosque, the fresh city’s vantage point, whose gorgeous ebony pulpit and delicate prayer-specific niche come from 1155 (this new state-of-the-art is actually finished in 1221). The fresh boulevard radiating from here brings you to Rumi’s tomb, from which significantly more later on. Rumi can Turks given that Mevlana (the fresh new Sainted You to definitely), and after this Konya is within thrall so you can Mevlanamania.
As i basic arrived, Mevlana’s followers, new Mevlevi, was indeed a prohibited organisation, tolerated only for their “folkloric dancing” and you may whirlings. Meetings took place secretly, illegally.
I mentioned restaurants, as well. Konya’s lamb-centric cooking is very good. Etli ekmek is a lengthy, thin roll-up pizza pie bequeath that have delicately spiced mince, and Konya kebab are a mutton shank, very slower roasted and you may supported towards a pillow out of dough having a sweet red-colored onion. Ideal was at Konak (Restoran, Akcesme mah. Piriesat Cad. No 5, +ninety 332 352 85 47), whoever soup and handmade yoghurt was eden-generated.
Hence, remarkably given, along with of numerous cups of nice tannic teas inside you, create your answer to Rumi’s tomb. Your join the awestruck, the fresh interested together with fervent. A mystical twinkly light plays on tombs away from Rumi and you may their supporters. The structure was embroidered which have calligraphy, together with ceilings is a beneficial kaleidoscope off wonderfully performed arabesques. Rumi’s tomb is covered within the significantly padded material from silver, and seems to radiate white and you may serenity and you can compassion.
Are typical gone, having is like
The their fellow pilgrims commonly discover Korans, and others Rumi’s poetry. Extremely get images, while this is purely taboo. Discover people that cry gently, and people who make fun of aloud; individuals who reflect for hours, and people who rush owing to.
kissbrides.com Hop over til dette nettstedet
To tackle unofficially and insinuating by itself into the awareness ‘s the ney, a good reed flute. It sounds eg breathy sky, it is actually the sound from flame, and that rises and falls into the all of us. That isn’t certain sullen religious moaning, however the sound out of wanting, out-of communion, of your cardiovascular system. You’ve got it – it is spirit musical, plus it really supplies you with. Therefore become.
Turkish Air companies (020-7471 6666) flies so you can Konya thru Istanbul off Heathrow, Stansted, Birmingham and Manchester, off ?219 rtn inc taxation. Istanbul in order to Konya from the rail costs from around ?24 return, or just around ?36 go back from the shuttle. Hotel Balikcilar has actually bed room or about ?70 (and also suits cooler drinks). Lodge Dergah (+ninety 332 351 76 61) bedroom doing ?20. Seats to see the spinning dervishes was free from the fresh traffic office, trailing Mevlana’s tomb. Mete Horzum at the SeleneTour (+90 532 564 9192, ) organizes personal whirling and zikhr out of ?30pp.