Lost in Konya, a piece of rustic beauty of Türkiye
Konya is known as one of the most conservative and religiously disciplined urban centers in Türkiye, once called the "stronghold of Islam." Konya's residents remain relatively more religious than those from other cities in Turkey.
Konya is the final home of the Persian philosopher and poet Rumi - one of the greatest poets of all time. His poems have been widely circulated around the world since the 13th century. But few people know that Rumi himself had a huge impact on the culture and religion in Konya. In 1273, Rumi's disciples in Konya established the Mevlevi Sufi Islamic order and became known as the Whirling Dervishes.
On my way to Konya, I accidentally entered the Selimiye Mosque in the city center - it was noon prayer time. The believers came to pray and filled the inside of the Mosque, spreading out to the courtyard surrounding Selimiye. It can be said that this moment gave me a clear sense of the Konya people's adherence to religious rules. They still follow the lifestyle of traditional Muslims, not as liberal as the Turks in Istanbul. That is what creates the beauty of Konya and preserves it so that it is not lost in the stormy development of globalization.
Come, come, whoever you are.
The wanderer, the worshipper, the lover gone - it doesn't matter,
We are not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vows a hundred times,
Come, come again, come.
(Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī)
And like those verses of Rumi, I came to Konya and left a piece of my emotions behind.
Come to the ancient town of Sille to taste the peace
The car rolled away, leaving Konya behind, and in less than 20 minutes, the car gently stopped at the gate of Sille village, where no tourists had arrived before my friends and I. The shops were still sleeping at 10am. The children were on their way to the elementary school located next to the small river - the water supply for the old town.
Here, the pace of life is calm, the opposite of what I imagined about Türkiye, a place of exclamation marks, wide eyes, and amazed mouths. Sometimes, when we travel, we create more commas, to always tell our own story. And Sille is a place that creates more such commas for me.
The old town of Sille, with its full name Sille Subaşı, is one of the few villages inhabited by Greeks and coexisted with Turks in Konya for 800 years. According to recent excavations, the first settlement dates back to around 6,000 BC. Sille was a Greek village until the exchange agreement between Turkey and Greece was made in 1922. This is why today, most of the houses here are Greek in style. The cultural mix and exchange make Sille one of the important stops to explore when coming to Konya city.
Nowadays, there are not many Turks living here. But when I passed by, everyone smiled brightly and asked: “Where are you from?”. A local vendor even brought out cakes for me when I was just passing by.
Sille stands out to me especially because of its quiet street corners, colorful houses dotted with blooming almond flowers. The old shops are also beautiful pictures for this trip. Coming here, you will not see the skyscraper mosques like you have seen so many in Konya. On the contrary, this place brings a gentle space with a strong European countryside feel.
When walking around Sille, you cannot miss the Byzantine Church of St. Helen located near the last bus stop. Founded by Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, this church was chosen by her as a stop on her pilgrimages to God. There is even a story that Saint Paul, an apostle of Jesus, came to this place to preach and stayed here. Now, the church is a famous tourist destination in Sille. You can go inside to see the sharp paintings. There used to be many holy bodies placed here, but many wars happened and the holy bodies were moved to Rome.
At the end of the village, there is a bridge named "Devil's Bridge" connecting two precarious cliffs built by the locals. This is a great check-in spot for adventurous tourists.
A full day in Sille felt soothing, sitting at a shop when they opened at 11am, ordering a cup of Turkish tea. Just watching the water flowing around was enough to relax me.
Sille is probably a place that is easily forgotten by travelers. But for me, this ancient town is the place I would most like to return to, simply to write my own comma.
More information
Visa:Türkiye is not part of the EU, so visitors need to apply for a Turkish visa. The visa processing time is 15 days if you apply directly at the Embassy. If you have a valid European, American or Irish visa, you can apply for an E-visa with a very quick procedure, receiving the E-visa in just 2 hours.
Trip:From Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City, you have to take an international flight to Istanbul and a domestic flight from Istanbul to Antalya. You should use the service of Turkish Airlines - the national airline of Türkiye to avoid the hassle of transferring luggage when transiting in Istanbul. Moreover, Turkish Airlines is a high-quality airline and has ideal flight times from Vietnam to Europe, taking off in the evening in Vietnam and landing in the morning in Türkiye.
From Istanbul to Konya, you will need to take a short flight of 1 hour and 25 minutes, which costs around 600,000 - 1,400,000 VND one way. This is the fastest way to visit Konya as the road trip is 635 km.
Alternatively, you can travel to Konya by train and from Konya to many other cities. Konya is the southern terminus of Türkiye. Turkish High Speed Rail, with regular fast trains to Istanbul, Eskişehir and Ankara. There are three trains a day from Istanbul to Konya via Eskişehir, taking 4.5 hours; from Ankara, there are eight trains a day, taking 90 minutes; there is one daily train between Konya and Adana, a journey of around 6 hours.
Transportation:Public transport is very convenient here with trams, buses and taxis for people to travel in Konya. Sille is only 10 km from Konya city center so the easiest way is to take a taxi. If traveling by bus, go to Aladdin Hill in Konya to catch a bus to Sille.
Time:This area is at its best in April and May because of the mild climate and the beautiful almond blossoms along the roads. It is also not Ramadan so you can enjoy Konya's amazing cuisine.
Weather:Konya has a temperate climate. In April - May, the weather here is warm, sunny, dry and very pleasant.
Cuisine: Konya is the best agricultural region in Türkiye, so produce is always cheaper here than in other cities. When you come here, you must try Etliekmek - a long and thin pizza (with meat or cheese) that can be over 1 meter long! Available in many restaurants in Konya. In addition, lamb is also a dish prepared a lot in Konya.
Accommodation:Hotels in Konya are very cheap. For as little as 50 USD you can stay in a 5 star hotel.
Money: Türkiye uses the lira, 1 lira is worth approximately 4,000 coins.
AMAZING TOUR
A series of programs promoting destinations for Vietnamese tourists initiated by Travellive magazine. “Türkiye - Real Legends” is the 4th Amazing Tour journey to explore four legendary cities of Türkiye, organized with sponsorship from Nokia and Turkish Airlines.
