Konya
Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. It is the capital of the Konya Province, and had a city population of 1,003,373 in 2009. The name Konya is a cognate of icon, as an ancient Greek legend ascribed its name to the "eikon" (image), or the "gorgon's (Medusa's) head", with which Perseus vanquished the native population before founding the city. Under the Ottoman Empire, in the vilayet system established after 1864, Konya was the seat of the Vilayet of Konya. Konya has hot and dry summers with an average of 30°C (86°F). However, usually temperatures are much higher and quite often reach +40°C (104°F). The highest temperature recorded in Konya was 40.6°C (105.08°F) on 30/07/2000. Konya has cold to freezing winters with high snowfall in the extreme months. The average temperature in the winter is -4.2°C (24.44°F) but often are much colder. The coldest temperature recorded in Konya was -25.8°C (-14.44°F) on 25/01/1989. Konya has the reputation of being one of the more religiously conservative metropolitan centers in Turkey. It was once known as the "citadel of Islam" and is still more devout than other cities. Konya was the final home of Rumi, whose followers established in 1273 the Mevlevi Sufi order of Islam in this city and became known as the whirling dervishes.
