Konya

Timeline

1. c. 1077–1100Iconium (Konya) · Sultanate of RumSulayman I of the Turkic Seljuk branch held central-western Anatolia after the Battle of Manzikert and founded the Sultanate of Rum with the former Byzantine city of Iconium as his capital. The city rebuilt its walls, mosques, and market districts, absorbing Persianized administrators and Silk Road caravans, becoming the foremost urban node of Turkification and Islamization in Asia Minor.
2. 1100–1107Konya · Sultanate of RumDuring the reign of Kilij Arslan II, Konya continued to expand as the capital, dealing with Byzantium and the Crusader states, while its population and handicrafts grew. Early religious buildings such as the Alaeddin Mosque began to take shape, and the city's layout evolved toward an Islamicized capital, laying the foundation for later Rum architectural traditions.
3. 1111–1120Konya · Sultanate of RumAfter the death of Kilij Arslan II, his sons fought over the throne, with civil wars around Konya involving Malik Shah and Mesud I. Mesud finally seized the capital in 1116, but between 1111 and 1120 Konya remained a political symbol contested by all sides. The city maintained Silk Road trade and religious activities amid the turmoil, not declining due to the civil war.
4. 1150–1220Konya · Sultanate of RumMesud I and his successors consolidated Konya's status as capital, making the city a center of Rum architecture, poetry, and Sufi scholarship. Rumi (Mevlana) later worked here, and a network of caravanserais extended from Konya across Anatolia; the city's function as a Silk Road hub reached its peak in the early 13th century.