72 hours in Konya

In search of catharsis and culture through Rumi’s ancient city

- Anindita Ghosh

It’s late afternoon when I reach Konya from Istanbul. The city is a blur in the haze of the setting sun. As we drive out from the airport, there are low-rise buildings, factories, and showrooms of automotive parts on either side of the expressway where Fiats and Renaults rule the roost. At first glimpse, Konya looks every bit like the manufacturing hub it is, and there’s little evidence of the ancient city where the Sufi mystic Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi lived and died.

The Mevlana is why I am in Konya for three days; to witness the grand celebrations of Seb-I Arus, or “Wedding Night,” commemorating the spiritual union between Rumi and God. Seb-I Arus, held on December 17 every year, is the most significant event in Konya’s calendar and draws pilgrims and visitors from all over the world.

DAY 1

The next day dawns bright and clear, and like the smog, my mood lifts. We drive towards the city centre through beautiful tree-lined avenues and flower beds, past grand monuments of the Seljuk and Ottoman eras.

Our first stop is the Panorama Konya Museum in Karatay, the central district of Konya. If you are curious about the life and times of the Mevlana, this is the place to be. The outer courtyard has multiple miniature replicas of Mevlevi lodges where dervishes of the Mevlevi order would stay and study. Realistic montages show Mevlana’s life from his birth in Balkh in modern-day Afghanistan to his final resting place in Konya, Türkiye.