We awoke to find that it had rained overnight and a light
drizzle continued as we enjoyed our last breakfast overlooking the scenic “fairy
chimney” rock formations. Leaving
Goreme, we headed for Konya, about 150 miles away, through the flat and
windswept Anatolian steppe. We had some rain
this morning and were happy that we had no outdoor plans that might be
affected.
We made a stop at Sultanhani to see a 13th century caravanseri, or han. These were outposts,
spaced a day’s journey apart, along ancient trade routes. They provided food and lodging for traders
and their animals and were sponsored by sultans to facilitate trade. The han at
Sultanhani was a two-storey stone structure, with both indoor and outdoor
rooms, surrounding a central courtyard with a small mosque. The camels may be long-gone, but lots of
stray dogs now call the han home.
We arrived in Konya, city of close to a million people, in
the early afternoon. Konya is a
pilgrimage site for Sufi Muslims, followers of the poet, philosopher, and
religious leader, Rumi. We visited the
Mevlana Museum, which is devoted to Rumi and is the site of his tomb. Many of the faithful stood reverently before his
large, cloth-draped sarcophagus, which is topped an enormous turban. This is also the home of the Whirling
Dervishes, whose trance-like dance is, in fact, a religious ritual, and not a
performance.
Konya is a busy city, but a very conservative one. We’ve seen many more women dressed in long
coats and head scarves here and tourists are advised to dress conservatively,
as well. When we wandered through the
outdoor bazaar and the adjacent area of small shops, there were many displays
of “appropriate” attire, with a surprising range of style and color.
We had a light rain as we headed back to our hotel for our
cocktail hour, but while we relaxed inside, we could see and hear a downpour.
Our luck continued, though, and, by the time we headed out for dinner, we had
no need of our umbrellas.
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