Konya - Alaeddin Tepesi

The former citadel on the western side of Konya is now mainly a park (Alaeddin Parki with monuments to the fallen). At the foot of the incline Alaeddin Kaykobad's palace and the remains of the old city wall can be seen although the latter are covered for protection. The city wall was removed at the beginning of the 20th century to make way for modernisation of the city center. Some painted sections from the inner fortress of the Seljuk sultan's palace were still standing in 1860 but now only part of a pavilion on one the fortified towers remains (marble portal with inscriptions dating from 1221; round-arched gallery with pillars). The Alaeddin Camii (1221) is no longer accessible as a result of severe earthquake damage but restoration work is planned. It was built as a pillared mosque according to an old Arabic design. The wooden ceiling was supported by 42 antique columns ("Wood Mosque"). In the center alongside a prayer niche and an old pulpit lies a türbe faced with blue enamel tiles in which rest the Seljuk sultan Mesut, Kiliç Arslan IV and Keyhusrev I with a number of their relatives. A decagonal pyramid roof covers the mausoleum and the tomb of Kiliç Arslan II which occupies the forecourt.