Friday, 01 December 2023
The Settlement and Structures on Alâeddin Hill

The Settlement and Structures on Alâeddin Hill

Alâeddin Hill has been the site of some infrastructure and urban planning activities carried out by Konya Municipality between 1936 and 1970, with the status of an "urban image" area for the city of Konya. However, between 1960 and 1990, a series of infrastructure activities were carried out on the historical, archaeological, and natural heritage of Alâeddin Hill, which will have negative impacts in the future.

 

Alâeddin Hill is important in terms of providing a glimpse into the city's history. The chronology of the hill can be summarized as follows:

Phrygian and Hellenistic periods (700-25 BC)

Roman period (25 BC - 395 AD)

Byzantine period (395-1069)

Seljuk and Beylic periods (1069-1475)

Ottoman and Republic periods (1475 onwards).

 

Other structures known to have existed on Alâeddin Hill, apart from those mentioned above, are:

Greek and Armenian Churches: These two buildings on the southern slopes of the hill did not survive to the present day.

Greek School and Practice Stage: The Greek School, one of the buildings constructed in the early 20th century on the southern side of the hill, was used as a People's House (Halkevi) from the early years of the Republic (1932-1951). For many years, the Greek School Practice Stage (Theater Hall) also served as the Municipal (Public) Cinema.

Officer's Club: The Officer's Club, first built by Fahreddin Altay Pasha in 1927, was demolished by Cemal Tural Pasha in 1960 and replaced by today's Officer's Club. This building, which served the army for many years, was decided to be removed with the consent of the Army by Konya Municipality in 2013; a protocol was made with the Ministry of National Defense, and construction of the new Army House began on the site of the old Army Market. The building was demolished after the Army House was completed and moved there at the end of 2015; the demolition was completed in the spring of 2016. In the future, Alâeddin Hill will be restored to its historical texture and made available to the public.

The Torrance Casino and Alâeddin Keykubat Wedding Hall: Originally built as Alâeddin Casino in 1954, the building's name was changed to Torrance Casino in memory of the sister city relationship between Torrance, California, and Konya during Sıdkı Bilgin's term as mayor (1958-1960). Today, the building serves as Alâeddin Keykubat Wedding Hall.

Monument of Air Martyrs*: located on the eastern slope of Alâeddin Hill.

At this point, all construction activities related to the cultural heritage of Alâeddin Hill, such as maintenance, restoration, and archaeological excavations, are carried out under the supervision and authority of the Konya Cultural and Natural Heritage Preservation Board, at the same time, Alâeddin Hill continues to serve as one of the most important recreation areas in the city, offering services to the people of Konya and its visitors.