Sletta

Day 6:

For a northerner. it is strange to hear the stories about harsh winters on the Konya Plain - the highland that stretches from Cappadocia to the Taurus Mountains. There are lots of snow, and temperatures may fall far below zero degrees Celcius.

The Plain was were Metin made his first travel, age 14. He ran away from home, with a friend, to his grandmother's village, with no winter clothes and no money:

"W made it, in the middle of the night. The last kilometers, we had to walk in the deep snow, only seeing the distant lights from the village. Next day, whe got the news that a young soldier was killed by wolves later that night, when he tried to walk the very same distance....."

But do not worry: We are not going to walk, and we are probably not going in wintertime.

We are going to Saratli - one of the seven underground cities found so far.

Saratli underground city

It was built by the first Christians, escaping from Roman oppression, not very far from the main Pilgrim route to Palestine, and close to the Silk road to the far East.

It is seven stories deep. Three of them are open for visitors. It is fascinating to see the traces of the tools used to carve it out. This is where the picture in the first page comes from, showing how the city was closed off when dangerous intruders apporached.

Caravanserais

The Seljuks, however, the rulers put into power by Djengis Khan and the following Moguls, did not hide underground.

Every ten kilometers, they put up Caravanserais to offer safety - and to demand taxes - from all merchants travelling the Silk Road. We are passing several. Not all of them are in good condition, but work is going on to restore and preserve

One of the best rehabilitated ones are Sultanhanis caravanserai about 40 km at he west of Aksaray town. Built in 1229, destroyed by fire and then rebuildt in 1278, it was the largest caravanserai in the whole of Turkey. It is often mentioned as a good example of Anatolian Seljuk architecture.

It is incredibly fascinating to walk in the enormous store-rooms on the inside of the fortified walls.

Konya

The plain is named after the central city, Konya. It is a big, crowded and friendly city. It's history goes back to antique ages. It has been capital in several empires - the Phrygians (800B.C. - 690 B.C), the Seljuk sultanat of Rüm (1097-1243), the Mongol Turkey under Möngke Khan (Djenghis Khan's grandson). Since the Ottomans took control (1453) it has been a provincial capital.

To be a tourist in Konya is very different from the more touristique areas; you are an exception from everyday life there, you are not the main target in the market. The normal tourist there is turkish. And she/he is coming first and foremost to see the Mevlana Museum.

It is the mausoleum of the sufi mystic Mevlana or Rumi - the founder of the Mevlevi order and the whirling dervishes.

He was a persian poet, jurist, theologican and mystic. His influence has been enormous through the seven centuries that after his death, and goes far beyond Muslim circles. His poems are translated into most languages of the world - he is even one the most read poets in the Anglophone world. Wikipedia has an interesting article about him.

You can see it and feel it in the crowded museum.

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