Caravanserais on Konya-Beyşehir Road in the Context of Urban Tourism
Authors: Akın Sacide 
Published: December 2024

Tourism in cities has been around since Mesopotamian times and has survived throughout history. Cities are centers of attraction with their history, culture, entertainment and shopping venues, sports and artistic events. Increasing the diversity of tourism positively affects the development of cities. During the Anatolian Seljuk period, caravanserais on trade routes met the need for accommodation. People who went to another city for trade, military purposes or for sightseeing used the caravanserais. Today, caravanserais have been replaced by hotels. Each of the caravanserais that have survived to the present day as cultural heritage has the potential to affect urban tourism. Konya, the capital of the Anatolian Seljuk period, contains very strong parameters with its caravanserais. In this article, 'Altunapa', 'Kuruçeşme' and 'Kızılören' caravanserais, which are located on the Konya-Beyşehir road of the trade route extending from Konya to Antalya, are evaluated in the context of urban tourism. The characteristics of the three caravanserais are given through literature, plans and photographs, and they are associated with urban tourism. As a result, it is stated that caravanserais have a very important place in Konya's urban tourism and will increase the tourism potential of the city. In this context, it is aimed to contribute to urban tourism research, which has entered the agenda of different disciplines after the 90s and aroused interest in the academic field, by developing a perspective in the architectural discipline.Tourism in cities has been around since Mesopotamian times and has survived throughout history. Cities are centers of attraction with their history, culture, entertainment and shopping venues, sports and artistic events. Increasing the diversity of tourism positively affects the development of cities. During the Anatolian Seljuk period, caravanserais on trade routes met the need for accommodation. People who went to another city for trade, military purposes or for sightseeing used the caravanserais. Today, caravanserais have been replaced by hotels. Each of the caravanserais that have survived to the present day as cultural heritage has the potential to affect urban tourism. Konya, the capital of the Anatolian Seljuk period, contains very strong parameters with its caravanserais. In this article, 'Altunapa', 'Kuruçeşme' and 'Kızılören' caravanserais, which are located on the Konya-Beyşehir road of the trade route extending from Konya to Antalya, are evaluated in the context of urban tourism. The characteristics of the three caravanserais are given through literature, plans and photographs, and they are associated with urban tourism. As a result, it is stated that caravanserais have a very important place in Konya's urban tourism and will increase the tourism potential of the city. In this context, it is aimed to contribute to urban tourism research, which has entered the agenda of different disciplines after the 90s and aroused interest in the academic field, by developing a perspective in the architectural discipline.