I t ‘s the heart from Poultry. Konya, a city out-of so many souls, squats slap in the exact middle of Anatolia’s wild ordinary, in the middle of unlock, endless prairie. Turkey’s really culturally conservative urban area, Konya looks initially becoming a place from rigorous headscarves and foreboding beards, of ostentatiously observed pieties and you will forbidden drinks. However, discovering Konya is easy – having right here, in the middle of one’s old city, in his tomb off turquoise ceramic tiles, is actually Jelaluddin Rumi.
Rumi is just one of the planet’s really realize poets. During the his lifetime, and since their demise when you look at the 1273, pilgrims have come in order to Konya. Today, Rumi’s tomb was Turkey’s next really-went to travelers appeal following Topkapi Castle inside the Istanbul. Rumi are a mystical, good Sufi saint who loved all religions, and you may whose individual faith is actually love. Their supporters perform (whilst still being do) treat on their own into the trance and you will dance, often rotating including passes from day to night.
There was a giant, epic brand new civil auditorium where which sensitive spinning human ballet are did, and you will one number of lovely shiny-eyed mystics when you look at the carpeting sites, cafes and you may medieval bazaars, every happier in order to invite you to definitely a private zikhr
These types of spinning dervishes are now the symbol from Turkey’s tourist ways, and you will drink teas on your own Istanbul lodge lobby watching particular bad bloke in a taller beige experienced hat spinning to possess your own entertainment. Toward real thing, although, already been heree so you can Konya therefore started to Turkey’s heart. For the Rumi’s terms and conditions:
“Anybody who you might be, started Even if you could be An enthusiastic infidel, a great pagan, or an effective fireworshipper, already been Our very own brotherhood isn’t certainly one of despair However possess broken The vows from repentance one hundred moments, started.”
Every season because the 1983, I was future to the two million-or-very travelers who see Konya a year. Most are Turkish, some Iranians (just who allege Rumi since their individual, because the guy wrote in their words and grew up in eastern Persia) together with make pilgrimage.
Instead of making Konya a halt with the a bus tour, I will suggest being for some weeks, soaking up the feeling, food a few of Turkey’s most useful lamb, watching their most useful Seljuk buildings and you may – maybe – falling crazy about Rumi. You might fly during the cheaply of Istanbul, from which addititionally there is a great scruffy, atmospheric instruct, or arrive by road. Konya is during effortless started to of your own cave dwellers and you may carpet providers off Cappadocia.
Rumi turned up right here since an excellent boy, when Konya got started a neighborhood for a couple of,000 years. It was situated because of the Hittites, who had been succeeded by Phrygians, then your Lydians, Persians, Cappadocians, the fresh new kings off Pergamon together with Romans, who called the lay Iconium. Saints Paul and you will Barnabus one another preached here, but by the 1071 the new Seljuks, a beneficial Turcoman group, have been in control, and their architectural legacy suffers.
Their Karatay Medrese off 1251 is a work of art away from ornate tiling and you will unified domes. It is today the brand new Art gallery out of Tiles and you can Ceramics, whoever articles retain the vibrancy and you will strike they had when first fired. Nearby, the new Ince Minarali Medrese is brand new Art gallery off Brick and Timber Carving, and is way less dry than simply You will find made it voice. These houses whet urge for food to discover the ornately tiled Sircali Medrese, and also the unique Sahip Ata mosque: in lieu of most of new Muslim industry, inside Poultry you are encouraged to go to mosques, almost any your spiritual choices.
On junction of the old city and its unappealing new neighbor is the Alaaddin mosque, the new city’s vantage point, whoever breathtaking black pulpit and you will sensitive prayer-market are from 1155 (the newest cutting-edge is completed in 1221). The newest boulevard radiating from here provides one Rumi’s tomb, at which way more later. Rumi can Turks because Mevlana (new Sainted That), now Konya is valkoinen kaveri Hong Kong naiset in thrall so you’re able to Mevlanamania.
As i earliest emerged, Mevlana’s supporters, the fresh Mevlevi, were a banned organization, accepted only for its “folkloric dancing” and you will whirlings. Meetings took place secretly, dishonestly.
I pointed out dining, also. Konya’s lamb-centric food is great. Etli ekmek is a long, narrow move-right up pizza pie pass on that have delicately spiced mince, and you will Konya kebab is a lamb shank, extremely more sluggish roasted and you will supported towards a support away from money that have a sweet reddish onion. The best was at Konak (Restoran, Akcesme mah. Piriesat Cad. No 5, +ninety 332 352 85 47), whose soups and you can do-it-yourself yoghurt try paradise-made.
Ergo, superbly fed, along with of numerous cups of nice tannic teas inside you, make your answer to Rumi’s tomb. You join the awestruck, this new interested and also the fervent. A mysterious twinkly white takes on to your tombs from Rumi and you may his followers. The fresh wall space is actually embroidered having calligraphy, and also the ceilings try a beneficial kaleidoscope out-of beautifully performed arabesques. Rumi’s tomb is included inside the vastly padded cloth of gold, and you may generally seems to radiate light and you may tranquility and mercy.
Are all moved, getting we have found love
Several of your fellow pilgrims usually read Korans, although some Rumi’s poetry. Really simply take images, although this is purely taboo. You’ll find people who weep gently, and those who laugh out loud; people that reflect throughout the day, and those who hurry because of.
To try out quietly and you will insinuating itself to your awareness ‘s the ney, a reed flute. It may sound for example breathy heavens, it is actually the sound out-of fire, which goes up and you will falls in to the people. This is simply not particular sullen religious complaining, but the sound off craving, out of communion, of heart. You have it – it’s spirit music, and it also really provides you with. Thus already been.
Turkish Air companies (020-7471 6666) flies so you can Konya thru Istanbul from Heathrow, Stansted, Birmingham and you may Manchester, from ?219 rtn inc taxation. Istanbul in order to Konya from the train costs throughout ?24 come back, or about ?thirty six come back of the shuttle. Resort Balikcilar keeps room or about ?70 (as well as have serves cooler beers). Resorts Dergah (+90 332 351 76 61) room doing ?20. Tickets observe new whirling dervishes try free from the newest tourist place of work, at the rear of Mevlana’s tomb. Mete Horzum on SeleneTour (+90 532 564 9192, ) arranges personal spinning and you will zikhr of ?30pp.
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