Most Konyans are known to be observant, pious Muslims and the city has always been a stronghold for political parties with Islamic overtones. In the '80s and '90s it was the base of Necmeddin Erbakan's Islamist movement. In the new century, though, in line with its own modernization, Konya opted for the conservative-but-not-Islamist line of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). In the recent general elections on July 22, the AKP won an amazing 65 percent of the votes in Konya and 13 of the 16 seats the city holds in the Turkish Parliament.

The Mystic

At the heart Konya, and of its religiosity, there certainly lies the legacy of one man: Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, the towering thinker and poet of Sufi Islam. Born in Afghanistan in September 1207, Rumi soon moved westwards and settled in Konya, which was then the capital of the Turko-Islamic Seljuk Empire. His Magnum Opus, the Masnavi, along with his other works, inspired many believers and became the basis of a new Sufi order called the “Mavlavi's.'' The striking point in Rumi's message was tolerance to differences and acceptance of diversity. “"Come, Come, whoever you are“," read one of his popular lines. “"Wanderer, idolater, worshipper of fire. Come, and come yet again.”"

At the core of Rumi's message, like that of most other mystical (Sufi) trends in Islam, lies the idea of unity between God and creation. All created beings are perceived as emanations of God's wisdom and benevolence, and thus all of them deserve the respect and affection of a true believer. "“Loving the creation for the sake of the Creator,"” became the principle of the Sufi's. And Rumi expressed this so beautifully that his followers became “propellers of love,” and thus created the fascinating tradition of whirling dervishes.

The City

In Konya the first thing that strikes the eye is the ascendance of Rumi's shrine over the whole city. The impressive tomb, famous with its beautifully green dome, was first built in the 13th century by the Seljuks and later improved by the Ottomans. Even one step into the tomb is enough to be taken into a whole new universe. The mosque-like structure is the home of dozens of sarcophaguses, which all belong to the prominent members of the Mavlavi order. The biggest one, of course, is that of Rumi and it looks splendid in front of the gorgeous walls covered with decorated verses from the Koran. Every single day thousands visit this center of spirituality, pray for the soul of Rumi, and hope for his blessings to enlighten their hearts and lives.

In the museum part of the shrine, one can see all the musical instruments that Sufis use to praise God. Along with the special flutes called “ney,” there lie several oriental guitars and even a violin. (What a great contrast to the Taliban who outlawed music for “it takes the heart away from God.”) Another significant piece in the museum is the translation of the Koran into Farsi dating from the 11th century – much before John Wycliffe translated the New Testament into English.

It is hard to tell whether people build temples because they are religious, or whether they become religious because they have temples. And the truth is probably bits of both. No wonder the link between Rumi's shrine and Konya's religiosity is most obvious, and the latter is what makes the city the ultimate “other” in the eyes of most secularist Turks. Yet Konya seems to be more tranquil in itself. At a first glance the ratio of women with and without the headscarf seems to be nearly equivalent, and, more importantly, they all seem to get along well. Moreover, Western tourists, including the ones with long blonde hair, visit Rumi's tomb without a decent covering and are not unwelcome at all. The city is economically flourishing and new towers and shopping malls are bringing more and more elements of modern life. Yet the communitarian spirit still seems to be strong in Konya. A taxi driver was hesitant when he was called on a busy street. “"This is the spot of a fellow driver,"” he said, "“I don't want to take what is his."” Istanbul's Social Darwinistic driving culture has apparently not arrived here yet. The Mavlavi spirit still lives.

Rumi is indeed everywhere in Konya. His proverbs are the first thing the visitor reads on the way from the airport to the city, and comes across in virtually every street. Every Konyan is proud of being from the city of the great Sufi, and is very pleased to learn about the American readers who made him a best-selling author or of UNESCO who declared 2007 as the Year of Mevlana.

The Birthday

The latter was the inspiration for the huge birthday celebration organized for Rumi in Konya's city stadium Sunday night. The big event organized by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Konya's local authorities included theatrical dramas, several speeches, two mini concerts and a breath taking presentation by 150 whirling Sufi dervishes which performed their heavenly dance all together at once.

The 20,000 or so Konyans who filled the stadium cheered not only for the dervishes but all others who filled the stage to praise Rumi, including the Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay, the Afghan Ambassador Masood Khalili who recited Rumi's poem in his original tongue, or modern Sufi musician Ahmet Özhan.

The stars of the night included Mazhar Alanson, Fuat Güner and Özkan Uğur, who make up one of Turkey's most admired pop music bands, the MFÖ. The group has been famous not only for its creative music but also by the Sufi elements it used in some of its melodies and lyrics. On Mevlana's 800th birthday, the MFÖ performed three songs with strong Sufi themes and devoted them to the ultimate master. "“We are so honored to be in the presence of the revered one,"” said Mazhar Alanson, who is probably not the best representative of a conservative life style. “"He is so tolerant that he accepted even us."