Konya, in central Türkiye, is once again experiencing a surge of visitors for the 751st anniversary of Hazreti Mevlana’s reunion, as it does every year.
From Dec. 7 to 17, visitors from both domestic and international locations come to Konya to participate in the commemoration events of Rumi.
Tourists, both local and foreign, visiting to watch the ceremonies, explore the Mevlana Museum and the historic mosques in the city during the day, and in the evening, attend the Sema ceremony held at the Mevlana Cultural Center.
Chinese visitor Ça Zoni, who came to Konya for the events, shared that he first heard the name of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi from a friend and decided to visit Türkiye to attend the ceremonies.
He said, “I am traveling the world, I went to Malaysia, Singapore, then Iran, and now here, I decided to come here a year ago, and now I’m here, I don’t know much about Mevlana, but I love him. I read some of his poems when I was in China.”
Iranian students Ghazal Alizade and Anahita Houshyari, who are studying at the Faculty of Medicine in Eskişehir, expressed their happiness about being in Konya for the ceremonies. Ghazal Alizade, who is visiting Konya for the second time, said, “We came to Konya to visit Mevlana, we really love the city, it is such a beautiful place, full of poetry, we hope to attend the ceremonies tonight, I’ve read Mevlana’s poems, we know them.”
Anahita Houshyari also shared that she was deeply affected by the spiritual atmosphere of the city. “This is my second time in Konya, but it’s my first time here for the ceremonies. We are Azerbaijani from Iran. I am also a student in Eskişehir, and I came here for the ceremonies. I visited Mevlana’s tomb, I cried inside, and I felt such energy, I don’t know how to describe it, this place is something else.”
Fatma Seçil Can, a lawyer from Ankara, mentioned that there is an atmosphere of tolerance in Konya and found the people to be very hospitable. She expressed her feelings by saying, “I’ve visited Konya many times. Each time, I make it a point to visit Mevlana, it’s a special pleasure in my life. By praying, I feel at peace and also feel the tolerance from the past within me.”
This year’s Rumi commemoration ceremonies, starting with the theme “Muhabbet Vakti” (“Time for Love”), will conclude with the Shebi Arus ceremony on the evening of Dec. 17.