Konya sets its sight on Alaeddin Hill

Konya Metropolitan Municipality will Revitalize Alâeddin Hill’s Excavation Site and Open it to the Public After Years through an Architectural Project Competition.

Konya, which holds significant historical importance, will initiate a remarkable competition named “Alaaddin Hill 2nd Kılıçarslan Mansion and Excavation Area Architectural Concept Project Competition” to identify a new project for the historic region. After the critical meeting scheduled for August 1st at the Historic Stone Building, the municipality will restart the works in the area. A colloquium will be held during the meeting to outline the roadmap, and the excavation site at Alâeddin Hill will be reopened to the public after years.

KONYA’S ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE

Alâeddin Hill, a crucial part of Konya’s historical core and symbolically significant, encompasses layers of architectural and archaeological heritage from the Phrygian period to the Ottoman and Republican eras. As the inner fortress of the Anatolian Seljuk State, it now stands in the center of Konya and integrates with the city as one of its important historical, natural, and archaeological sites. The hill includes the iconic “Alaeddin Mosque,” “ Kılıçarslan II Tomb,” “Half Dome,” and “ Kılıçarslan II Mansion,” representing the inner fortress of medieval Konya. It also displays cultural heritage examples from recent history with the “Feritpaşa Water Reservoir,” “Martyrdom Monument,” and “Torrance Building.”

Konya Metropolitan Municipality organized the “Konya Alaaddin Hill, Kılıçarslan II Mansion, and Excavation Area Architectural Concept Project Competition” to reveal qualified and original design ideas for the competition area. The main objectives include evaluating the spatial potential of the area, preserving the cultural heritage revealed by the excavations and highlighting its historical and cultural significance while integrating it with the city center. Additionally, innovative proposals will be considered to enhance the public value of the site through everyday life, cultural and artistic activities, and to promote universal and inclusive arrangements by considering contemporary designs, tourism objectives, accessibility for disabled and elderly individuals, urban identity, social memory, and cultural life. Ultimately, the goal is to give the area its rightful place and importance in the city center and achieve a design that harmoniously integrates with the city.