Wonderful walk with a knowledgable and experienced guide - During the tour, we delved into some historic facts of Konya's Seljuk period and retraced the footsteps of Rumi. Hüseyin was a knowledgable and experienced guide, providing us with insightful commentary every step of the way. Despite the challenges of Ramadan, we didn't miss out on experiencing the local culinary delights, the flavorful Furun kebab. While one day barely scratches the surface of Konya's rich history, having Hüseyin as the guide laid a foundation for further exploration. I'm grateful for his expertise and guidance!

So interesting and try to be there Friday or Saturday to attend Sama dance (derwish whirling ) - It was so amazing, friendly, lot of information and tips about everything , facilities and help wherever he can👍👍

Must do in Konya - We had a fantastic tour with Selene travel. Our guide Fatma provided information about this particular Sufi order that even I as a student of Sufism did not know. It was a wonderful tour to get a first-hand experience about the life of Mevlana. In addition, the tour company arranged for us to see an authentic Sema ceremony. This was the highlight of the tour for me. Thank you SELENE travel.

Inspiring & thoughtful - If you are looking for an inner trip, then this tour is definitely for you. Fatma not only shows you the story of Rumi and Konya, she also guides you in the philosophy of Sufism and Islam as it is practiced in Turkey, with a deep insight on the country's past. With passion and dedication you will be introduced into one of the most beautiful stories of History. You will learn a lot about the city, and about yourself.

A profound mix between theoretical knowledge and practical experience, a must for anyone interested in Sufism. - I can really really recommend this tour to anybody interested in Islamic mysticism a.k.a. Sufism! At first I was a bit skeptical as I am normally not the person doing guided tours, but rather visit things on my own. However, in this case my experience was completely different: The guide Fatma was very kind and well informed and did not hesitate to delve deep into specific topics related to the spots we were visiting. The mix between walking to different spots such as the tomb of Shams, the Aladdin mosque or the Mevlana museum, and visiting places such as Konevi‘s tomb by bus was chilling and practical. I even had the chance to have a profound talk with a Mevlevi Sufi and sit inside a small retreat chamber (traditionally used by Sufis for 40 days retreats) and hence experience Sufism not only theoretically, but also „in action“. No matter if you visit these places in Konya on your own: This tour definitely complements your encounter with Konya‘s Sufism and should be on your bucket list when going there.

Footsteps of Rumi - Fatma is an outstanding guide of her amazing city—Konya. From the first moment she met my wife and I in the lobby of our hotel (and she was early), and over the six hours of a delightful walking and riding tour of the city, she established herself as being knowledgeable, considerate, patient, generous, personable and professional. With her gentle sense of humor and excellent command of English, she was wonderfully informative without lecturing. Since we came to Konya specifically to follow in the footsteps of the 13th century mystic, poet and scholar, Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, this is exactly what we wanted and this she allowed us to experience. Upon leaving our centrally-located hotel (the Bablin Butik Otel), Fatma guided us into and past a host of significant sites including (but not limited to); the Mevlâna Museum, tomb and complex, the Karatay Madrasah, the tomb of Rumi’s beloved friend, Shams Tabrizi, the Alaeddin Mosque where Rumi prayed. The tour also included transportation to a few sites at a few miles distance from the old city center, delicious refreshments and a great lunch, along with and a wonderful and extended conversation with a Mevlevi Dervish! We hope to return to Konya again and take another tour with this wonderful guide!

Wonderful day in Konya - This tour was amazing. Out tour guide was very sweet and knowledgeable and we got a chance to visit multiple sites in the city. Highly recommended.

Everything you could want from a Sufi Tour - Mete and Belkis were wonderful. They were both knowledgeable about sufism and were able to arrange the tour for me and my cousin according to our interests. We got to eat wonderful food and visit the tombs of famous sufis. We even were able to sit in the seclusion chamber used by Ibn Arabi’s step son. I highly recommend this tour

Spiritual Konya - Whilst arranging our Turkish tour itinerary, I was advised that I would not miss much if I did not visit Konya. On further research, I came across a decade old English Guardian newspaper article articulating the highlights of a trip to Konya along with a contact of Mette Horzum of Selene Travel for Sufi highlights. I immediately picked up the phone and had a delightful conversation with Mette. He understood exactly from where I was coming from. With a very rudimentary understanding of Sufiism, I wanted to know more about Rumi, the Mevlana sect and I also had a great interest in architecture and history. Our nearly four hour road journey to Konya began in the morning from Cappadocia with Mette. The road trip flashed by with many explanations and insightful discussions. Mette explained the present road to Konya still follows the old Silk route dating back to hundreds of years ago. It is lined with farms growing apple, pomegranate and walnut trees with intermittent remains of old caravanserais. A stopover at the beautifully restored 13th C Sultan Hani Caravanserai showed its immense size, Seljuk architecture and how they functioned. On reaching Konya, Mette had organised a private tour for my family, led by one his tour guides, Belkis, herself a practising Sufi, an academic with an in depth knowledge of the subject and currently pursuing a Phd on Rumi. She spoke perfect English, often reciting Farsi verses with English interpretations. Our afternoon began over cool lemonade, in a shaded garden café, with a brief history of Konya, biography of Rumi, Sufiism’s relationship within Islam, its beliefs and how the Mevlana sect came into being. Armed now with some basic knowledge we set off walking towards the Mevlana Museum, entering through its blooming scented Rose Garden. This former lodge complex, houses the Mausoleum of Rumi and a Museum. Belkis took time to explain in detail the important highlights and its significance. A delicious vegetarian lunch followed our visit. Walking in the footsteps of Rumi, we continued on through the old Gold Bazaar where Rumi had first heard the repeated pounding of the gold sheets which caused him to whirl. A peep into the old Azizye Mosque with its unusual Baroque and Rococo architecture and a visit to an old Hammam. No trip to Konya can be completed without visiting the site where Shams and Rumi are thought to have first met and the Mosque and tomb complex of Shams-i-Tabrizi. A large air-conditioned mini -van then drove us to the Ates Baz-i Veli Turbesi, the tomb of Rumi’s chef and his doctor’s tomb at Kultur Park Alaeddin Tepesi. As our visit fell on a Thursday, our visit culminated in watching the Whirling of the Dervishes in the Rose Garden of the Mausoleum during the evening. This was a fitting end to our tour. Our visit to Konya has been one of the highlights of our visit to Turkey, largely due to the efforts of Mette and Belkis, with the tour tailored to our interests, their explanations and discussions which helped evoke the spirituality and mysticism of Konya. I am so glad that I did not heed the earlier advice but in fact I would go as far as to say a visit to Konya should be a must for any visitor to Turkey. Let Selene Travels arrange your own private and unique tour in Konya. You will not be disappointed.

Highly recommended tour! - This was an amazing tour. Our guide was super excellent. She had great knowledge of sufism and Mawlana Rumi. Konya is a very special city full of love and peace.