9 Best Sights in Cappadocia and Central Turkey, Turkey

When the Sufi mystic and philosopher-poet Mevlâna Celaleddin Rumi died in 1273, he was buried in Konya beside his father, and a great shrine was erected above them. Today, the museum is one of the most visited sites in Turkey, attracting more than 2 million people a year. The interior resembles that of a mosque, with its intricately painted domes, ornate chandeliers, and Islamic inscriptions on the walls. The main hall contains many dervish tombs, all of them with carved stone turbans wrapped in cloth atop the sarcophagi. The place is usually filled with Muslim pilgrims standing with their palms outward in prayer. Next to the mausoleum is a courtyard with a large şadırvan, or ablutions fountain, around which are rooms that formerly served as dervish cells. These have been turned into a museum, with each room illustrating a different aspect of life in the dervish brotherhood. A separate structure, the matbah, or kitchen, shows mannequins of dervishes engaged in the preparation and serving of food—activities that took on an almost ritual significance in the dervish hierarchy.

A magnificent portal marks the entrance to what was formerly the Sahip Ata complex, a group of structures dating from the late 13th century. A bit to the right is the small but interesting Arkeoloji Müzesi (Archaeology Museum), showcasing artifacts from a number of different periods. The most significant room has finds from the 7000 BC Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük, including pottery, jewelry, weapons and tools, and the remains of an infant burial; these are accompanied by quite informative explanations. There are also artifacts from the Bronze Age and Greek and Roman periods; the 3rd-century AD marble sarcophagus depicting the Twelve Labors of Hercules is outstanding.

Around the left-hand corner from the Sahip Ata portal is the Sahip Ata Müzesi (Sahip Ata Museum), housed in the beautifully (but perhaps not that sensitively) restored dervish lodge of the mosque complex. Items on display include carved wooden doors from as early as the 13th century, ceramic fragments, calligraphic works and old Korans, and dervish accoutrements. It's free to visitors.

A magnificent portal marks the entrance to what was formerly the Sahip Ata complex, a group of structures dating from the late 13th century. A bit to the right is the small but interesting Arkeoloji Müzesi (Archaeology Museum), showcasing artifacts from a number of periods. The most significant room focuses on the 7000 BC Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük, with finds including pottery, jewelry, weapons and tools, and the remains of an infant burial; these are accompanied by quite informative explanations. There are also artifacts from the Bronze Age and Greek and Roman periods—the 3rd-century AD marble sarcophagus depicting the Twelve Labors of Hercules is outstanding. Around the left-hand corner from the Sahip Ata portal is the Sahip Ata Müzesi (Sahip Ata Museum), housed in the beautifully (but perhaps not that sensitively) restored dervish lodge of the mosque complex. Items on display include carved wooden doors from as early as the 13th century, ceramic fragments, calligraphic works and old Korans, and dervish accoutrements. It's free to visitors.

The minaret of the 13th-century İnce Minare Medresesi, or "Seminary of the Slender Minaret," is bejeweled with glazed turquoise tiles. Unfortunately, due to a 1901 lightning strike, it is only half its original height. Also worth noting is the especially ornate Seljuk-style decoration of the beautiful stone entry portal. The building itself houses the small but well-done Museum of Stone and Woodwork, which displays a fine collection of tombstones and other inscribed stone fragments as well as elaborate wooden carvings dating from the 13th century. Highlights are the fascinating Persian-influenced Seljuk stone reliefs, which include double-headed eagles, winged angels, and strange creatures that are part human and part bird or beast.

The Karatay Medresesi—a seminary founded in 1251 by Celaleddin Karatay, a Seljuk Emir—is now home to Konya's small ceramics museum. The main attraction is the building itself, which is topped by a stunning dome lined with blue, black, and white tiles representing the starry heavens. In the vaulted corners below are stylized ceramic inscriptions of the names of the prophets. The frieze beneath the dome and the vaulted hall, or eyvan, at the end of the building are just as dazzling. The emir's tomb is to the left of the main hall; other side rooms display smaller tile and ceramic works. Most impressive is a collection of rare figurative tiles from Kubadabad Palace in Beyşehir that show the Persian influence on Seljuk art. These include hunting scenes, people with distinctively Eastern features and clothing, and figurines of animals and mythological creatures, all highlighted in rich shades of cobalt blue and turquoise.

Sultan Selim II began this medium-size mosque just across from Rumi's tomb in 1558, when he was heir to the throne and governor of Konya. The structure, completed after he became sultan, is reminiscent of Fatih Camii in Istanbul, with soaring arches and windows surrounding the base of the dome. As of this writing, a restoration of the mosque is expected to be completed in early 2016.

Sultan Selim II began this medium-size mosque just across from Rumi's tomb in 1558, when he was heir to the throne and governor of Konya. The structure, completed after he became sultan, is reminiscent of Fatih Camii in Istanbul, with soaring arches and windows surrounding the base of the dome.

The formerly Greek village of Sille can be visited as an excursion or detour on your way out Konya. In AD 327, St. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, built a small church here, the Aya Elena (Hagia Helena), which was extensively restored in the 19th century and again in 2013, when it reopened as a museum (Free Closed Mon.). The recent restoration preserved the beautiful frescoes, which date from the 1880s, and the gilt wooden iconostasis and pulpit. In the hillside above town are some Cappadocia-style rock-cut chapels with badly deteriorated frescoes and graves carved out of the stone floors. Still a working village complete with crowing roosters and the smell of manure, Sille has recently become a popular destination for the cafés housed in old homes along the stream running through the center of town. To get to Sille by car, follow Yeni Sille Caddesi out of the city from where it begins near the Dedeman Hotel, or board city bus 64 in front of Alaaddin Camii. If you're heading out of Konya in the direction of Ankara, look for the fabulous Seljuk portal at the entrance to the Horozlu Han, a former kervansaray (now housing a restaurant) near the four-lane beginning of Route 715.