The History of Konya

The name Konya is believed to derive from the word Ikon, meaning a sacred depiction. Various mythological accounts surround the origin of this name. According to these narratives, a symbolic image was created and the monument was called Ikonion. Over time, Ikonion evolved into Iconium. During the Arab period, the city became known as Kuniya, a name that eventually transformed into Konya during the Seljuk and Ottoman eras.

Settlement in and around Konya dates back to prehistoric times. Evidence of Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Early Bronze Age cultures can be found throughout the region. Many mounds from these periods lie within the provincial borders of Konya. Significant remains from the Neolithic Period, dating between 7000 and 5500 BC, were uncovered during archaeological excavations at Çatalhöyük. Hittite settlement traces have also been identified at Karahöyük, located in a neighborhood near Konya’s city center. Excavations conducted over many years have yielded important findings that illuminate this era.

The Phrygians, who ended Hittite rule in Anatolia, were tribes that migrated from Thrace. Archaeological finds from Alaaddin Hill, Karapınar, Gıcıkışla, and Sızma date back to the 7th century BC. Following the Phrygians, Konya, then known as Kavania, came under the control of the Lydians and later Alexander the Great. With the establishment of Roman rule in Anatolia, the city continued to exist under the name Iconium from 25 BC onward.

During the Byzantine period, settlements such as Hatunsaray, Lystra-Derbeş, Laodicea (Ladik), and Sille gained prominence. As Islam began to spread across Anatolia, Arab raids targeted Byzantine territories, including routes passing through Konya, during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods. After the Malazgirt Victory in 1071, Konya, along with much of Anatolia, was taken from Byzantine control by the Seljuks. In 1076, Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Süleyman Shah declared Konya the capital. Although the capital was temporarily moved to İznik in 1080, Sultan Kılıç Arslan I returned it to Konya in 1097. The city remained the uninterrupted capital of the Anatolian Seljuk State until 1277.

In the following period, Konya came under the rule of the Karamanoğulları State until Ottoman Sultan Murad II ended their sovereignty in 1442. Experiencing rapid growth and development during the Republican era, Konya today resembles an open air museum with its rich collection of historical monuments. The combined population of the central districts of Karatay, Meram, and Selçuklu exceeds one million, while the total population of the province surpasses two million.