Crowning the wooded mound at the city's core, Alaeddin Tepesi is Konya's green lung and the site of its oldest and grandest Seljuk mosque. Completed around 1220 under Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I, the Alaeddin Mosque hides a forest-of-columns prayer hall built from recycled Roman and Byzantine pillars, each capital slightly different. Off the courtyard stand the türbe, the domed mausoleums where several Seljuk sultans are buried. The hill itself is a shaded public park where Konya families stroll, picnic, and gather at tea gardens with views over the surrounding boulevards. Fragments of the old Seljuk palace and city walls survive at its edges. It is an easy, unhurried stop that pairs well with the medrese museums ringing the base of the hill. The mosque remains active, so time your visit around the five daily prayers.
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