24 April 2025 Overland to Konya • Whirling Dervish monastery visit • Overland to Antalya

 

We were back on the road today, traveling to the Mediterranean seaside town of Antalya.  It is the capital of Antalya Province and is known as the “capital of tourism” in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera.

We are traveling what was once part of the Silk Road and we saw several Caravanseri.  Built like a fortress (for protection), they were like 4 star hotels, which included a Turkish bath, food, and shelter, for the camel and horse caravans traveling on the Silk Road some 500-800 years ago.   As we passed through one small town, Ahmet pointed out a statue dedicated to the Antalya Shepherd Dog.

Caravanseri Along the Old Silk Road

Statue of Antalya Shepherd Dog

Another Caravanseri

 We stopped in Konya, where the Mevlevi (or Whirling Dervish) originated.  Here we visited the Mevlana Muzesi (a museum dedicated to Melvana Jelaleddi Rumi) and the former tekke ( Mevlevihane or monastery) where Melvana Jelaleddi Rumi’s tomb is located.  This is one of the largest of the remaining Mevlevihanes in Turkey.  Here we were able to see the rooms the monks lived in and the classrooms where they learned how to become a Whirling Dervish.  Each year over one and a half million people come here as a pilgrimage to pray.

 

Mevlana Muzes Complex

Saltan Selim Mosque Inside the Complex

Inside Mevlana Muzes

Classrooms and Dorms in Mevlaa

Monastery Where Rumi is Buried

One of the Tombs in Monastery

Rumi's Tomb

Rumi's Tomb

Sample of Rumi's Writings

Sample of Rumi's Writings

Purification Fountain

Monk's Kitchen Inside the Melvana

Board where Monks learned how to Twirl -
Their right foot goes on the center screw while
the left foot pivots body around.

Novice Monk's Outfit

Monk's Room in Mevlana

Monk's Clothes

The Music Room Where Monks Learned
to Play the Flute Used in the Sema Ritual

We then had lunch at a local restaurant.  We have observed that most Turkish people like a very large lunch.  We had a choice of several options – kebabs, chicken and a meat dish prepared on a spit. 

 Our last stop of the day was to Aspendos with roots dating back to the Hittite Empire (800 BCE).  Here we saw a 2^nd century Roman Theater, one of the best-preserved Roman theater of the ancient world.  It was built during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and could hold 15,000-20,000 people.  Built as a semi-circular auditorium, it has 20 tiers of seating, divided into a lower section and an upper section.  It still has near-perfect acoustics, as we found out when we enter the theater and there was a small group of Japanese girls singing – they sounded really great.  The theater still hosts plays and operas today.  In the pictures below you can see drawings of what the theater looked like in the 2^nd century. Most of the statues that once were part of the stage are now found in  the museum in Antalya.

Entrance to the Roman Theater

Seats Inside the Theater

Stage of the Theater

Carvings On the Stage

Theater Seats

What the Theater Would
Have Looked Like

We finally arrived at our hotel in Antalya late in the afternoon.  Over 2,000 years old (it was once a Roman city) Antalya, formerly an old fishing village, is now a seaside resort with unspoiled beaches and modern homes – but with a twist – it still has its ancient walled Old Town, which is known as Kaleici.  With its narrow and winding cobblestone streets, Ottoman-era houses, ancient ruins, Kaleici, which translates to “within the city walls or castle,” is a treasure trove of culture and history. 

 

Old Clock Tower in Kaleici

Tower and Part of Old City Walls

Here we stayed in a hotel (Tuvana Hotel) in the old town that was really three separate buildings converted into a hotel.  The hotel’s restaurant is located in another little building.  These buildings were once homes that have now been converted into hotel rooms.  It is located on a little cobblestone alleyway lined with beautiful flowers and flowering trees. 

Garden at Tuvana Hotel

Alleyway in Front of Hotel

Hotel's Fearless Guard Dog