The city that once played host to the Seleucids, to Mevlânâ Celâleddîn-i Rûmî, and to Nasreddin Hoca is today the breadbasket of the Turkish nation as the wide plains of what was once known as Iconium soak up the benefits of Atatürk's extensive rural revitalisation programs.

Yet Konya has not modernised as completely as Atatürk and his heirs might have wanted. Due to the influence of the Mevlânâ, his heirs, and countless other clergy that called Konya their home over the centuries, Islam has deep roots in Konya. As a result, the values of the Turkish revolution have a hard time penetrating the many conservative towns and villages that surround Konya.