# Konya

> metropolitan municipality in Central Anatolia, Turkey

**Wikidata**: [Q79857](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q79857)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konya)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/konya

## Key Facts
- **Official Name**: Konya
- **Entity Type**: City, big city, metropolitan municipality
- **Location**: Central Anatolia Region, Turkey; Konya Province
- **Coordinates**: 37.872769°N, 32.492139°E
- **Elevation**: 1,019 meters above sea level
- **Area**: 41,001 square kilometers
- **Population**: 2,232,374 (2019, preferred source); 2,205,609 (2018)
- **Timezone**: UTC+03:00
- **Postal Code**: 42 000
- **Local Dialing Code**: 332
- **UN/LOCODE**: TRKYA
- **Website**: https://konya.bel.tr (Turkish)
- **Historical Names/Aliases**: Iconium, Iconio, Konieh, Qonya, Ikonion, Икониум, Иконий
- **Country Affiliation**: Turkey (1923–present), Ottoman Empire (1467–1923), Sultanate of Rum (1077–1307)
- **Inception**: -070 (circa 70 AD/BC)
- **Heritage Status**: Tentative World Heritage Site (since 2000), meeting criteria (i), (ii), (iv)
- **Conservation State**: Preserved
- **Sister Cities**: Khoy, Qom, Ganja, Multan, Okayama, Sanaa, Sarajevo, Sylhet, Tabriz, Tetovo, Verona, Xi'an, Baku, Al Qadarif, Tulkarm, Daejeon
- **Wikipedia Presence**: Available in 115 languages
- **Image**: City of Konya (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/City_of_Konya.jpg)

## FAQs

**What is the population and geographic size of Konya?**
Konya covers an area of 41,001 square kilometers and had a population of 2,232,374 in 2019, making it one of Turkey's most populous metropolitan municipalities.

**What is Konya's historical significance?**
Konya served as the capital of the Sultanate of Rum from 1096 to 1307 and has been continuously inhabited since approximately 70 AD/BC. It was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1467 to 1923 before becoming part of modern Turkey.

**What international organizations is Konya affiliated with?**
Konya is a member of the League of Historical Cities and the Organization of World Heritage Cities. It is also designated as a Tentative World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

**Where is Konya located?**
Konya is situated in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey at coordinates 37.872769°N, 32.492139°E, with an elevation of 1,019 meters above sea level.

**What are Konya's twin cities?**
Konya is twinned with 16 cities globally including Baku (Azerbaijan), Xi'an (China), Verona (Italy), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Tabriz (Iran), Multan (Pakistan), and Daejeon (South Korea), among others.

## Why It Matters
Konya represents a critical nexus of Anatolian history, serving as the political and cultural heart of the Sultanate of Rum during the medieval period. Its strategic position in Central Anatolia has made it a crossroads of civilizations for over two millennia, influencing trade, religion, and culture across the region. The city's preservation and recognition on the UNESCO Tentative World Heritage list underscore its outstanding universal value, meeting criteria for human creative genius, interchange of cultural values, and testimony to cultural traditions. Modern Konya continues this legacy as a major metropolitan hub with a population exceeding 2.2 million, balancing historical preservation with contemporary urban development. The city's extensive sister city network and membership in international heritage organizations reflect its ongoing role as a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures.

## Notable For
- **Historical Capital**: Served as the capital of the Sultanate of Rum from 1096 to 1307, a pivotal period in Anatolian history
- **Ancient Continuity**: Continuous habitation since approximately 70 AD/BC, spanning Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman periods
- **Geographic Scale**: One of Turkey's largest metropolitan municipalities by area at 41,001 km²
- **Population Center**: Ranked among Turkey's most populous cities with over 2.2 million residents
- **Heritage Recognition**: Designated as a UNESCO Tentative World Heritage Site meeting three criteria (i, ii, iv)
- **Global Connectivity**: Maintains sister city relationships with 16 cities across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East
- **Multilingual Documentation**: Wikipedia presence in 115 languages, demonstrating global recognition
- **Elevation**: Situated at 1,019 meters, one of Turkey's highest major cities
- **Cultural Documentation**: Referenced in major historical encyclopedias including Britannica, Brockhaus and Efron, and Pauly-Wissowa

## Body

### Geography and Demographics
Konya is located in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey at coordinates 37.872769°N, 32.492139°E, positioned at an elevation of 1,019 meters above sea level. The metropolitan municipality encompasses 41,001 square kilometers, making it one of the largest municipal areas in Turkey. The city serves as the capital of Konya Province, a role it has held since 1923, and was previously located in the Konya vilayet from 1867 to 1923.

Population data shows significant growth from 1965 to 2019:
- **Urban Population**: 157,934 (1965) → 439,181 (1985) → 2,232,374 (2019)
- **Rural Population**: 84,480 (1965) → 82,106 (1985)
- **Current Total**: 2,232,374 (2019, Address-Based Population Registration System)

The city operates in the UTC+03:00 timezone and uses the postal code 42 000 with local dialing code 332. Its UN/LOCODE is TRKYA.

### Historical Evolution
Konya's documented history spans over two millennia, with an inception date of approximately 70 AD/BC (denoted as -070). The city has been known by numerous names throughout history, including Iconium, Iconio, Konieh, Qonya, Ikonion, and various transliterations in different languages.

**Political Affiliations Over Time:**
- **Sultanate of Rum** (1077–1307): Capital city from 1096 to 1307
- **Ottoman Empire** (1467–1923): Integrated into the empire, later serving as administrative center
- **Turkey** (1923–present): Metropolitan municipality in the Republic of Turkey

The city has been extensively documented in historical sources including the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary, Bible Encyclopedia of Archimandrite Nicephorus, The Nuttall Encyclopædia, Meyers Konversations-Lexikon (1885–1890), Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition, Pauly-Wissowa, and the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1926–1947). It appears in classical references under the name "Iconium" in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.

### Heritage and International Recognition
Konya holds Tentative World Heritage Site status, designated in 2000, meeting UNESCO criteria (i), (ii), and (iv) which recognize human creative genius, interchange of human values, and testimony to cultural traditions. The city's state of conservation is classified as preserved.

The municipality actively participates in international heritage networks:
- **League of Historical Cities**: Member (as of May 28, 2024)
- **Organization of World Heritage Cities**: Member (as of December 31, 2023)

These memberships connect Konya to a global network of cities committed to preserving historical and cultural heritage.

### International Partnerships
Konya maintains extensive sister city relationships with 16 cities worldwide, reflecting its diplomatic and cultural engagement:

**Asian Partners**: Khoy (Iran), Qom (Iran), Ganja (Azerbaijan), Tabriz (Iran), Baku (Azerbaijan), Xi'an (China), Multan (Pakistan), Sylhet (Bangladesh), Okayama (Japan), Daejeon (South Korea)
**Middle Eastern Partners**: Sanaa (Yemen), Al Qadarif (Sudan), Tulkarm (Palestine)
**European Partners**: Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Tetovo (North Macedonia), Verona (Italy)

### Cultural and Academic Documentation
Konya's significance is evidenced by its extensive cataloging in academic and cultural databases:

**Library and Archive Identifiers:**
- Library of Congress Authority ID: n80145386
- Bibliothèque nationale de France ID: 15189900b
- GND ID: 4110361-0
- VIAF ID: 155942204
- FAST ID: 1210683
- Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names ID: 7002539

**Encyclopedia References:**
- Encyclopædia Britannica Online: place/Konya
- Encyclopædia Universalis: konya-konia-iconium
- Treccani's Enciclopedia Italiana: conia (1931)
- Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana: konya
- Great Russian Encyclopedia Online (2017): 2094650
- Grove Art Online: T047338
- Oxford Reference Overview: 20110803100042400

**Specialized Databases:**
- Pleiades ID: 648647 (ancient geography)
- Trismegistos Geo ID: 2919 (ancient texts)
- Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire ID: 21444
- Archinform Location ID: 45177 (architecture)
- iDAI.gazetteer ID: 2283197 (archaeology)

The city is referenced in the Catholic Encyclopedia (ID: 07619a) and Cathopedia, indicating its significance in religious history.

### Digital Presence and Media
Konya maintains a robust digital footprint with official and community-driven platforms:

**Official Channels:**
- Website: https://konya.bel.tr (Turkish language)
- Facebook Location ID: 110738488953456
- Store ID (Google Play): Konya

**Social Media Metrics:**
- Twitter/X (Account ID: 376724421): 225,139 followers (Jan 2021) → 264,498 (Feb 2023)
- YouTube (Channel: UC_4nHId6II3WyrS2dVxOxbA): 40,300 (July 2021) → 55,200 (May 2025)

**Digital Database Presence:**
- Wikipedia: Available in 115 languages including English, Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and numerous others
- OpenStreetMap Node ID: 25869814
- Geonames ID: 306571
- OpenWeatherMap City ID: 306571
- Quora Topic: Konya-Turkey
- GitHub Topic: konya
- BBC Things ID: 4a11d542-aea3-4497-b9df-a39152393217

**Multimedia Resources:**
- Commons Gallery: Konya (Wikimedia Commons)
- Commons Category: Konya
- Page Banner: Konya_banner_Mevlana_Museum.jpg
- Main Image: City_of_Konya.jpg

### Administrative and Organizational Structure
Konya operates as a metropolitan municipality (Turkish: büyükşehir belediyesi), one of Turkey's major urban administrative classifications. It is explicitly differentiated from Konya Province, though it serves as the provincial capital. The native and official name is "Konya" in Turkish.

**Categorization and Classification:**
- Instance of: City, big city, metropolitan municipality
- Located in/on physical feature: Central Anatolia Region
- Category for people born here: Category:Births in Konya
- Category for people who died here: Category:Deaths in Konya
- Category of associated people: Category:People from Konya
- Category for films shot at this location: Category:Films shot in Konya
- Category for the view of the item: Category:Views of Konya
- Category for maps or plans: Category:Maps of Konya
- Topic's main category: Category:Konya

The city has a dedicated economy topic (economy of Konya) and is the subject of numerous academic research entries including CiNii Research ID: 1140563741519291264 and WorldCat Entities ID: E39PBJmTkqBYyt6G9YMXB6TWDq.

### Additional Identifiers and References
Konya is cataloged in numerous specialized databases reflecting its multidisciplinary significance:

**National Library Catalogs:**
- National Library of Israel J9U ID: 987007561899905171
- National Library of Lithuania ID: LNB:CX9E;=BF
- Canadiana Name Authority ID: ncf12008910
- NACSIS CAT Author ID (Japan): DA17741718

**Research and Cultural Heritage:**
- FactGrid Item ID: Arnold Durig
- RKD Thesaurus ID: 46648 (art history)
- Schoenberg Database of Manuscripts Place ID: 987
- Museum Digital Place ID: 23271
- Kulturenvanteri Monument ID: 11053 (Turkish heritage)
- Foto Atlas Taxonomy ID: 3548
- Who's On First ID: 890462075
- ToposText Place ID: 379325PIko

**Encyclopedia and Reference Works:**
- De Agostini ID: Konya+(città)
- Treccani ID: konya
- Online PWN Encyclopedia ID: 3925476 (Polish)
- Enzyklopädie des europäischen Ostens ID: fd48
- Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana ID (former scheme): 0035887
- Enciclopedia dell'arte medievale ID: konya (1996, by T.A. Sinclair)

The city maintains a Curlie ID (formerly DMOZ): Regional/Middle_East/Turkey/Provinces/Konya/, and has been referenced in the Yale LUX database (place/15df7b8f-aad1-41a8-962c-5c649618607a). Its GNS Unique Feature ID is -761917, and it has a Freebase ID: /m/019_8m.

## References

1. GEOnet Names Server. 2018
2. [Source](https://www.daejeon.go.kr/english/EngPartnerCities.do?menuSeq=7029)
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. CiNii Research
5. [Source](https://www.lhc-s.org/member_cities/index.php)
6. [Source](https://www.ovpm.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/liste-villes-en-regle-pour-page-web12-03-2024.pdf)
7. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
8. [Source](https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/turkiye/turkiyenin-nufusu-83-milyon-154-bin-997-kisiye-ulasti/1723520)
9. [Source](https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1404/)
10. GeoNames
11. BBC Things
12. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/tr.htm)
13. [Source](https://it-ch.topographic-map.com/map-c8gx3q/Konya/?zoom=17&center=37.86662%2C32.50262&popup=37.86695%2C32.50233)
14. Treccani's Enciclopedia on line
15. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
16. [Source](https://doi.org/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T047338)
17. YouTube API