Konya

Konya is the heart of Whirling Dervish country and much visited, both by foreigners and Turks, because of the Mevlana Museum. You know him, perhaps, as Rumi. A 13th-century Persian-born Sufi poet, he's much admired by people of many religions for his teachings of love for reaching God through poetry, music and dance. His followers established the Order of the Whirling Dervishes after his death. On the way into town, there's a fountain representing them.

The Museum, formerly a mosque, sports a dramatic dome covered in turquoise tiles:

There's much restoration going on now, so you can't presently see the fountain in front; luckily, you could see it all in 1990:

There's beautiful detailing of the building all around.

 The Sultan's signature over a doorway:

The crowds today are such that no interior photography is allowed, so you'll have to be content with my photos from 1990. The film quality has suffered a bit in the 23 years since I was there last, but they're better than nothing, I guess. This dome has been repainted since I was there and I think the new colors are not as felicitous as these:

An old carpet with over-embroidery in silver thread:

 Mevlana's tomb: