Greetings from Konya

We weren't sure if we'd have internet here, but we're in luck, so I'll update you on some of what we've been doing. Yesterday morning we went to Topkapi Palace and visited the harem and various other treasures there. They had a new exhibit on weaponry, but it was very hard to find, so some people missed it. My husband and kids saw the exhibit and enjoyed it. The kids came home talking about how the exhibit started with a very boring movie. Paul thought it was entertaining, mainly because the sign outside the theater said, "Chamber of Hologram" which cracked him up (thought I'd throw that in for all the trekkie fans out there).

Last night we took the overnight train from Istanbul to Ankara. After some initial trepidation on some students' part about the bathrooms, we all had a good time and enjoyed what was for many a new experience. The train was nice and we had all the rooms in a sleeper car, so after everyone calmed down from the excitement, we were able to sleep well as we journeyed to Ankara. After we arrived in Ankara we took a bus to Konya.

Konya is the home of Sufism in Turkey, and the burial place of Rumi (Mevana). We visited his mausoleum and the former mosque, religious school, and whirling dervish hall that are now a museum. This is an interesting place to visit because for me it really illustrates some of the varied views in Turkey. The State confiscated the property and made it into a museum, but this doesn't stop people from coming from all over to worship at the tomb. The State museum status means that one should not wear a headscarf inside, but its status as a place of worship would suggest that one should. In the case of contested sites in Turkey (such as the Haghia Sophia, which was originally a church, then a mosque, and now a museum, and symbolizes different things to different people), the government has been very strict about enforcing a policy that people cannot use the museum to worship. The case of the Mevlana's tomb is a little different, though, because the site isn't considered to be sacred to more than one group. The government seems to look the other way when people visit to worship. Overall this seems to be a situation in which all parties live and let live. So far this trip to the interior has been interesting, and the students seem to be enjoying seeing another side of Turkey. While Istanbul is fascinating, it really doesn't represent the whole country, and they now have a chance to see more of the diversity of the country.