Turkey is, in general, regarded as a liberal Muslim country. Walking through the centre of Istanbul, for example, there are very few of the traditional indicators to the religion, other than the occasional call-to-prayer, that you might find in... say... Saudi Arabia. But within Turkey, some cities have the reputation for being noticeably more conservative than the rest of the country. In particular, Konya, right in the middle of the country has this reputation more than any others.Although quite large, at over 750,000 people, Konya feels like a small town. It might have 
something to do with the fact that the city is SO spread out. You never really have the feeling of being hemmed in by massive skyscrappers or jumbo malls. As a matter of fact, it's so spread out that the bus station is located some 15km from the city centre. And is still in the city. And to top things off, I was there for a religious holiday, Korban Bayram. It's honour of when Abraham was told to sacrifice his son by God. The mark the holiday, most families sacrifice a sheep/cow/whatever is on hand. So my arrival on a Friday (start of the holiday) saw EVERYTHING closed. Even some of the hotels were closed.
something to do with the fact that the city is SO spread out. You never really have the feeling of being hemmed in by massive skyscrappers or jumbo malls. As a matter of fact, it's so spread out that the bus station is located some 15km from the city centre. And is still in the city. And to top things off, I was there for a religious holiday, Korban Bayram. It's honour of when Abraham was told to sacrifice his son by God. The mark the holiday, most families sacrifice a sheep/cow/whatever is on hand. So my arrival on a Friday (start of the holiday) saw EVERYTHING closed. Even some of the hotels were closed. But just walking through the, mainly, empty streets, it was easy to see why 
this town has the reputation of conservatism. It seems there are more mosques per person than any other city. A fact made all too clear as Call-to-prayer rings out at 6AM from every minaret in town. And the women in town are much more moderately dressed. The vast majority dawning hijab (head scarf) and some even in Chador (the long black cape that envelopes the entire body). All the restaurants are Halal (meat slaughtered or prepared according to Islamic law). And to top it all off, I found it nearly impossible to find beer. The guy at the hotel kept insisting that beer was everywhere, but it wasn't in any of the dozen mini-markets i checked out, nor the supermarket. I mean, come on!! Everything's closed, there's nothing so interesting to see AND there's no beer? I'm surprised that I survived the 3 or so days I stayed there!
this town has the reputation of conservatism. It seems there are more mosques per person than any other city. A fact made all too clear as Call-to-prayer rings out at 6AM from every minaret in town. And the women in town are much more moderately dressed. The vast majority dawning hijab (head scarf) and some even in Chador (the long black cape that envelopes the entire body). All the restaurants are Halal (meat slaughtered or prepared according to Islamic law). And to top it all off, I found it nearly impossible to find beer. The guy at the hotel kept insisting that beer was everywhere, but it wasn't in any of the dozen mini-markets i checked out, nor the supermarket. I mean, come on!! Everything's closed, there's nothing so interesting to see AND there's no beer? I'm surprised that I survived the 3 or so days I stayed there!As I mentioned, Konya really has very little to offer the average tourist. Sure some of the mosques are pretty, but after travelling in the area for a while, it's 
just anther mosque. There are also a few small museums, but none have particular "wow" value. But pretty much every tourist (foreign or domestic) who comes to Konya is there for the Mevlana museum (title picture). Mevlana, known in English as Rumi, was a poet, mystic and theologian. But he is most famous for being the "founder" of the Mevlevi order of Muslim Sufi, more popularly known as the Whirling Dervishes. Although originally from Afghanistan, it is here, in Konya, that he taught and led his faithful followers. And so it is here that he is buried. The museum is kind of weird though. It's just a converted Mevlevi mosque, with some tombs and displays. But it's the visitors that rubbed me the wrong way. While some were there for the spiritual nature of the place, many just wanted a photo op. Even right next to the big signs which say "NO PHOTOS". 
just anther mosque. There are also a few small museums, but none have particular "wow" value. But pretty much every tourist (foreign or domestic) who comes to Konya is there for the Mevlana museum (title picture). Mevlana, known in English as Rumi, was a poet, mystic and theologian. But he is most famous for being the "founder" of the Mevlevi order of Muslim Sufi, more popularly known as the Whirling Dervishes. Although originally from Afghanistan, it is here, in Konya, that he taught and led his faithful followers. And so it is here that he is buried. The museum is kind of weird though. It's just a converted Mevlevi mosque, with some tombs and displays. But it's the visitors that rubbed me the wrong way. While some were there for the spiritual nature of the place, many just wanted a photo op. Even right next to the big signs which say "NO PHOTOS". 
recently a couple weeks ago in Istanbul. The local government has built a multi-million dollar conference hall for them to perform in. But it was just that, a performance. It was still cool as I had never seen so many dancers at one time. There must have been 30 or 40, including children. But with recorded singing and a half-asses light show, it was no different than the tourist shows they put on in Istanbul. I had hoped for a more authentic ceremony like last time, not some cheap photo op. But you take what you can get, it's still cool to watch regardless of the authenticity. They do couple of paid performances a week. But every Saturday @9pm, there is a government sponsored show which is free of charge. The concert hall fits something like 5,000 people, but it is unlikely that there will ever be more than 1,000 any given Saturday.Konya's bus station is quite far from the centre, but a tramway, to Alaaddin, will whisk you there no problem. There are countless hotels in the centre, so it's worth shopping around. December marks the anniversary of Mevlana's death, as such there is a massive international pilgrimage to the site, making it almost impossible to find anywhere to stay. While certainly not a place that should be put high on any travellers agenda, Konya could make for a semi-interesting break in long cross country bus trips. But really... that's about it.
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forgive others but not yourself.
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