City (pop., 1997: 623,333), central Turkey. First settled in the 3rd millennium &BC;, it is one of the oldest urban centres in the world. Influenced by Greek culture from the 3rd century &BC;, Iconium came under Roman rule by 25 &BC;.
It was taken by the Seljūq dynasty &circa; 1072. Renamed Konya, it was a major cultural centre in the 13th century and was home to the Sufi brotherhood known as “whirling dervishes.” Later ruled by the Mongols, it was annexed to the Ottoman Empire &circa; 1467. It declined during Ottoman rule but revived after the Istanbul-Baghdad railway opened in 1896. An important industrial centre, it is also a trade centre for the agricultural area surrounding it.
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