Original subtitles

Turkey's golden coastline stretches 5,000 miles,

attracting 40 million tourists every year.

But a few miles inland is a whole different world...

..one that is intoxicating,

mysterious

and steeped in history.

This is such an incredible building.

It was the largest church in the world

for 1,000 years.

The land where one of the most formidable empires,

lasting six centuries and spanning continents, was founded.

Tesekkur ederim.

I'm Alice Roberts and I'm travelling hundreds of miles

by train through Turkey and Eastern Europe.

Oh, wow, look at that.

Lovely!

I want to discover the fascinating story...

Go.

..of the Ottoman Empire.

LAUGHTER Oh, no!

This is the mausoleum of Osman himself,

the sultan who started the Ottoman dynasty.

Through its distinctive architecture...

Beautiful courtyard.

..it's historic leaders...

The early Ottoman sultans had their eye on this prize, Constantinople.

..and remnants of its turbulent past.

What a horrific monument.

I begin the first leg of my journey in south-east Turkey, where I explore

the importance of Islam to the Ottoman Empire

and scale the dizzy heights of a dynastic legacy.

Oh, wow, look at that view!

Wow. We're right over Adana,

which is a huge city.

I discover more about the trade routes that helped

the Ottomans hold on to their wealth and power...

A very strategic and very important point for the silk route...

It's on the silk roads. Yeah. It's on that important...

And it still is.

..and learn the sacred meaning behind the mesmerising dance

of the whirling dervishes.

I haven't seen the whirling dervishes before.

Oh, OK. This is your first time?

It is.

It's totally magical. Yeah.

It is... It's like a kind of meditation.

What I've always found fascinating about Turkey

is its rich mix of cultures, which isn't surprising

given its colourful history.

In the 13th century this area was trapped in a power struggle

between the Byzantine Empire to the west

and Mongol forces to the north and the east.

Over time, Mongol invasions had led to the displacement of

Turkish tribes from Central Asia.

They'd been pushed further and further west,

and in the late 13th century a Turkish warlord came to power,

seizing new territory from the Byzantine Empire.

His name was Osman.

He was the founder of the Ottoman dynasty.

His descendants would go on to create one of

the largest empires the world has ever seen,

and it lasted for more than six centuries.

I want to find out more about this empire, how it emerged

and grew, its culture and its legacy.

I'm exploring the Ottoman Empire by train.

My journey starts in Adana,

the gateway into Turkey and Europe from Asia.

Heading west, I cover 800 miles towards Istanbul.

Then I follow the Ottoman trail up into the Balkans

and then Hungary, ending at Budapest,

at the westernmost tip of the empire.

The Ottoman Empire started near the city of Bursa in 1299.

Over 200 years it consumed Greece, Eastern Europe,

North Africa and western Asia,

reaching its peak in the 16th century,

covering an area that now includes 70 countries.

By the end of the First World War,

it had shrunk dramatically.

This is when the Ottoman Empire ended and Turkey became a republic.

So this lovely lady hopped off at the last platform

to fill her kettle up, and she's now plugged her kettle in

and she's making coffee and she's offered me some.

I've never seen anyone boil a kettle on a train before.

Is it ready?

Ah!

Thank you.

So kind! Thank you.

That's enough, that's enough.

Thank you. Tesekkur.

Tesekkur ederim. You are welcome.

Thank you.

That's so kind of you. Thank you.

Making coffee on a train!

Who else wants some coffee?

This lady's going to have some coffee.

It's my first time in Adana,

one of the largest cities in Turkey.

And you can see the Ottoman influence right away in

the city's striking railway station.

It was built in the early 1900s in the last decade of the empire,

embracing the classical 16th century Ottoman architectural design

with its Islamic pointed horseshoe windows and two-colour stonework.

Adana - this is a name which has been used

for at least 4,000 years.

It's there on ancient Hittite tablets.

It's mentioned in the Bible.

It's mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

It's mentioned in Homer's Iliad.

And today it's a massive city, home to nearly two million people.

DRUMMING AND SINGING

Adana is just 22 miles from the coast,

but the city's importance to the Ottoman Empire lay in

its position on one of the main trade routes between

Asia and Europe.

With its crucial location,

Adana became one of the empire's most prosperous cities.

Today it's a sprawling mix of old and new.

But I'm here to explore the historic Ottoman old town.

My first port of call is hidden behind this impressive gate,

Adana's oldest mosque.

This is a typical Ottoman religious complex,

including a madrasah - or Islamic School -

consisting of a classroom and cells or small bedrooms

for students, surrounding a large courtyard.

These learning centres of learning were banned when

Turkey became a republic, but were hugely important to

the empire's religious way of life.

You come off the busy streets of Adana into this space

and you're straight back into the Middle Ages.

This is the Yag Camii, the Yag Mosque.

But in fact its history goes back much earlier.

It was originally built as a church when Adana was part of

the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia,

and that was from the 11th to the mid-14th centuries.

The church is somewhere there, underneath this later architecture.

It has been added to and converted into a mosque with this courtyard,

and actually "yag" means "oil" in Turkish, so it's become known

as the Oil Mosque, and then there's an idea that people were selling

olive oil maybe just outside it.

So we've got, encapsulated in this architecture here

but also in the name of the place,

a bit of the medieval history of Adana.

From the brash sunlight of the courtyard,

it's a sharp contrast stepping into the cool contemplative

prayer room...

..where, in typical Ottoman style, there's a large space

for praying split into safs, or rows,

of arcaded porticos covered by small domes.

The materials are sandstone and limestone from nearby quarries,

and the layout of the room is designed so that worshippers sit in

a row between the columns.

So this is the oldest part of this building.

This is the original medieval church,

and you can see details on the pilasters.

It looks like they've been hacked away a bit,

but you can still see some of that.

What you can't see is any of the paintings, which must have

decorated the walls at the point it was being used

for Christian worship.

At that time the focus of worship would've been in the east -

that's where the altar would have been -

in the apse, in the curved end of the church.

Then, when it becomes transformed into a mosque, this western end

of the building is taken down and the mosque is built,

reusing lots of stone.

You can see all of those pillars are different.

Some of them are marble, some of them are granite.

They're all different shapes and sizes.

And now the focus of worship has also changed.

It was in the east when it was Christian,

and now it's in the south

because Muslims have to pray facing Mecca.

It's intriguing trying to imagine the city of Adana at

the height of the Ottoman Empire,

encircled by fortified stone walls, and within it -

just like today - would be the bazaar,

a market area, buzzing with traders, entertainers and food stalls

where people would gather to put the world to rights.

It's where I'm meeting Beliz Sahin,

a researcher at the local university, to get a feel for

what life in the city would've been like under Ottoman rule.

Hi! Hello!

Oh, it's lovely to meet you. Yeah, for me too. Thank you.

In the historic bazaar of Adana. Yes, we are in the historic core

of Adana - it's the Grand Bazaar.

So this is the heart of the city,

and we're coming out now onto this street... Actually,

we are in the complex of Ramadanid Emirate.

They built this complex in the 16th century. Yeah.

They will all have different a building type.

This is the baths, this is the bazaar,

and when we go this way we'll see the Grand Mosque,

we'll see the madrasah there.

These are all the parts of a classic complex built in Ottoman Empire.

So we've got some elements that go back centuries

and then we've got this... Yes. ..which is the famous clock tower

which is a bit later. Yeah, it's later.

It's at the end of the 19th century.

It's built... They started building in 1881 and ended in 1882.

It was built in the time of Abdul Hamid II,

and it is built for the purpose of the public to see

what time it is, for work and prayer times... Oh, OK.

..because the public didn't have a watch, so they see the...time.

So it's to make sure people get to work on time

and also make sure they go to the mosque at the right time as well.

Yes. It's important for them. Yeah.

The clock tower might be a recent addition,

but the layout of important buildings in the centre of Adana

mirrors that of many other cities built by the Ottomans,

which included a Turkish bath, a bazaar, and a Grand Mosque.

I think Turkey is such a fascinating place because it sits here

with Europe if we face west, Asia to the east,

the Middle East and Africa to the south. Mm-hm.

And you've got all these different cultures -

it really is at a crossroads.

And Adana in particular seems to be a bit of a frontier town.

Yes, yes. As its location, it's like a gate from East to West.

So we can see the interaction with so many nations,

so many cultures, and they're living here. Yeah.

So when you look at the city, it is very easy to see

their effects on buildings.

We know that there were many churches in the past.

There was an Eastern Orthodox church, a Catholic church,

a Protestant church, Gregorian church.

But in time, when the non-Muslim community started to leave the city,

these churches turned back to cultural centres,

museums, or mosques sometimes. Yeah.

So when does Adana become part of the expanding Ottoman Empire?

We can say that in the 16th century we see Ottoman Empire here.

And in the 17th, 18th centuries it still goes on,

and we see the reflections of the empire in different places.

Yeah. I mean, it's fantastic going to see the oldest mosque.

I've been to see the Yag Camii. Yes, Yag Mosque. The old mosque,

the Yag Mosque. Yag Camii, yeah.

And to see that it was originally a basilica with that apse

at the end... Yeah. ..with the mosque then added a bit later on,

so you've kind of got that history written into the stone,

written in the architecture. Yes.

And this is your passion, looking for history in architecture.

Yes, because in every detail you can find a story,

and when you find the story you feel more connected to the city.

You know the history, you know where it is coming from,

and maybe you can have an assumption, like, where it will go,

you can have an idea. Yeah. And I think it is important to have.

With its characteristic architecture and cross-cultural influences,

Adana has been the perfect introduction to my journey

discovering the Ottoman Empire.

I'm in the historic city of Adana in central-southern Turkey,

discovering the long-held secrets of the Ottoman Empire.

Among them are some world-famous delicacies,

including a particular favourite of mine.

Merhaba. Merhaba.

Tahini!

Yes. You're making tahini here?

Original. So you've got a big vat of sesame seeds. Yes.

It's a simple recipe.

The sesame seeds are ground into a liquid to produce the condiment.

Do you want this?

Oh, yes, please.

Fresh tahini.

Amazing.

Tesekkur.

At home I've used it to make humous and salad dressings,

but I've never tasted it quite this fresh.

Gosh, that's so good. That's so delicious.

Fresh out of the mill, amazing.

And you make Turkish Delight here?

Yes, welcome. Yeah?

So all of these different ones...

Rose petals, pistachios.

Yeah. That's walnut.

Lovely. Chocolate, kiraz...

So many different varieties.

It's lovely.

The delicacy is believed to have been invented in

Ottoman kitchens over 500 years ago,

when the ruling Sultan, Abdul Hamid I,

was struggling to keep his many wives happy.

He summoned his chefs to come up with an irresistible sweet

to win their hearts, and they created Turkish Delight.

And this is where you make it?

Oh, look at that!

Can I come in?

Yeah? SHE GASPS

LAUGHTER

Turkish Delight?

Yeah.

Oh, wow. Look at that.

Almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios.

Bomba, bomba...

This sweet dessert is simply a mix of sugar syrup

and cornflower that's cooked to create a sticky jelly,

and it can be left plain or have additions like pomegranate,

rose petals or nuts.

A great big mass of sticky Turkish Delight that's absolutely

full of almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios.

This is just fantastic.

I've wandered into this shop, and it's extraordinary -

look at that huge vat.

It's coming. It's coming!

Quick! SHE LAUGHS

Two massive trays of Turkish Delight.

Thank you so much. Tesekkur ederim!

Tesekkur ederim.

Well, that's been a very welcome start

to my second day in Adana.

But I'm keen to get back to uncovering the Ottomans'

architectural legacy in the city.

There's one place I want to visit that exemplifies this,

and one you can't fail to notice -

the majestic Sabanci Central Mosque.

Set on the banks of the Seyhan River,

you can see it from almost anywhere in the city,

with its six minarets climbing into the sky.

It's designed in the style of the famous Ottoman architect Sinan,

and is now one of Adana's most iconic attractions.

Well, this is enormous.

What a beautiful mosque.

It's quite new - it's only about 25 years old.

But it's definitely got that kind of Ottoman flavour to it.

The Ottomans were followers of Islam,

a religious heritage that is even stronger today

with almost 99% of the Turkish population being Muslims.

There has been renewed investment in religious institutions,

and this Grand Mosque was opened in 1998,

after a ten-year build beset with problems.

Its foundations sit on the ancient riverbed.

But it was well worth the wait

as it's now the second largest mosque in Turkey

and can fit an incredible 28,500 worshippers.

The main dome is huge, with a diameter of 32 metres

at a height of 54 metres from floor to ceiling.

The measurements used in the mosque's construction reflect

important numbers in Islamic belief,

with its six minarets specifically built to the height of 99 metres,

reflecting the 99 names of Allah.

And I'm taking my life into my hands to scale one of them.

Well, this is incredibly narrow.

Got to take the steps.

Traditionally the Imam would climb all these steps to

a platform where he would perform the call to prayer,

that would echo across the city.

Getting my steps in today.

Oh, now it's gone really dark.

I wish I'd counted these steps!

Oh, hang on a bit of light a lot of light.

OK.

OK. Oh, wow, look at that view. That's amazing,

what a beautiful bridge. Well, the steps are worth it.

Wow, right over Adana,

which is a huge city,

And this beautiful new mosque,

I've been inside looking up at that dome,

it's quite extraordinary to be looking down on it

and I'm up one of its six minarets, they're each 99 metres high.

It's fine looking out,

but it's a little bit nerve-racking looking down. Oh!

Now the imams don't walk up all those stairs

to do their call to prayer any more,

they stay down the bottom

and it comes out through these loud speakers - it's pretty sensible.

Oh, what a view, oh,

there was a lift here all along.

A broken elevator.

Hmm, even if it was working,

I think it was probably safer to use my legs,

I wouldn't fancy my chances getting stuck halfway up

a minaret.

There are many ancient sites in this city that date to

the time of the Ottomans,

but the might of the Empire lay on the foundations of

an earlier superpower.

This ancient stone bridge was first built by

the Romans, ordered by the Emperor Hadrian, no less.

For centuries,

it was the only way to get across the Seyhan River,

without getting your feet wet.

As a strategic crossing point,

this old bridge was of huge importance to the Ottomans.

To tell me how the Turks capitalised on it,

I've met up with Professor Duygu Saban.

We're getting a fantastic view of the bridge here,

I mean, some of that stone work must be original?

Presumably it's been redeveloped and renovated over time,

but some of that must be Roman.

Most of them, at least 80% is Roman.

The newly constructed ones is the upper parts.

Just this paler stone?

Yeah, the paler one. Along the parapet. Yeah.

In history documents we couldn't

find records of it being demolished by the floods or

by earthquakes or anything like that.

So you think it's been standing since the Roman period?

Yes, certainly,

certainly there are no records of its demolition,

but there are some modifications.

We can see less arches than it used to be.

Originally,

there were 21 arches, now we can see only 14.

Uh, the river bed was much larger.

So, it would've been much longer.

Yeah, it was much longer. Yeah.

So we're really just looking at the middle of this ancient bridge.

Yeah, yeah.

People would have crossed this bridge then

and entered the city.

Yes. This would have been the city wall just here, would it?

Exactly,

and every Friday, people from

the countryside would bring their food

and animals to sell and to also buy things.

And as you know Friday is sacred for Islam

because you pray in the Friday mosque on Fridays

and it has to be the Grand Mosque.

Yeah, so you're coming to market but you're also going to pray.

Yeah, you come to market,

you pray and you have, and you go to hammam,

bath, you get cleaned up and then you pray

and then you buy your stuff

and go back to your village. Yeah.

And so, it was until 1990s,

almost. It was the same, yes. Really?

That still,

that rhythm of life which had carried on for centuries.

Yes.

It was a key point then,

it was a key crossing point on this river.

Definitely a very strategic

and very important point for

the Silk Route as well. Yeah. And the trade routes.

So it's always, it's on the silk roads,

it's on that important route between East and West. And it still is.

The Ottoman Empire accumulated wealth

and power by controlling the lucrative silk roads.

These trade routes spanned 4,000 miles from China,

through the Middle East into Southern Europe.

Along these routes huge volumes of wool,

gold, silver and spices could be traded between the East

and West, with profits flowing into the Empire's coffers.

Tomorrow,

I'm back on the train to continue my Ottoman journey

and I'll be heading into the mountains

to understand more about

the history of this unique corner of the globe.

It's early morning, and time for me to leave Adana for

the next leg of my Ottoman adventure,

learning about the origins of the empire and what preceded it.

And I'm hoping my smattering

of Turkish will get me the ticket I need.

Merhaba. Konya bir bilet.

SPEAKS TURKISH

What is your name?

Alice.

Ah, well, it was worth a try.

Tesekkur ederim.

My destination is 166 miles north-west of Adana,

the religious city of Konya.

And I'm taking the Taurus Express, which is named after

the magnificent range

of mountains it passes through.

Oh, wow, look at that, lovely.

We're into the foothills of the Taurus Mountains

and as we rise up through the Taurus Mountains,

the terrain gets fairly difficult for a railway

to traverse.

And in the early 20th century Europe was hungry for oil.

It wanted the oil from the Middle East.

Germany in particular wanted that oil

and they invested in

a railway running from Baghdad in Iraq,

which was then under German control, all the way

to Istanbul and then on to Berlin.

And as part of that railway, they needed to cross

a particularly deep gorge

and they built the Varda Viaduct.

Now this viaduct is 172 metres long,

it's 98 metres tall.

It's quite iconic

for James Bond fans - you might recognise it from

the opening scenes of Skyfall.

Aww. I got a lovely view of that, just looking back,

fantastic viaduct over a really,

really deep gorge

and now we really are getting up into

the Taurus Mountains.

We've risen up as we've come up from

Adana about 1,000 metres above sea level.

The Taurus Mountains separate the Mediterranean coast from

the central Anatolian plateau.

The highest peak rises more than 4,000 metres above sea level and

the mountains are the source of two famous rivers,

the Euphrates and the Tigris.

It's a wonderful landscape dotted with waterfalls,

with underground rivers and the largest caves in Asia.

After passing through the dramatic Taurus Mountain range,

it's another five hours before we reach Konya.

And it is an awe-inspiring journey across miles

and miles of the stunning landscape of the Central Anatolian plain.

It's now early afternoon

and I've finally made it to Central Anatolia

and ancient Konya.

But before I begin to explore the city's Ottoman past,

I'm interested in seeing what preceded it.

Hello, Merhaba.

HE REPLIES IN TURKISH

I want to go to Catalhoyuk.

I'm heading out to the dusty plains around Konya,

and the world heritage site

of Catalhoyuk, which doesn't look like much from here.

I'm meeting Dr Ali Turkcan,

the excavation director who started digging here 30 years ago as

a student.

Hi, Alice. Hello, you know, I've wanted to...

Welcome to Catalhoyuk.

I've wanted to come here for so many years - this is amazing. Yeah.

Catalhoyuk was discovered 65 years ago

by British archaeologist, James Mellaart, who,

in 1958,

spotted a mound on the dusty Konya plain and,

despite everyone saying there was nothing out there,

Mellaart began excavating...

..and he put Turkey on

the map of early civilisation by revealing this extraordinary

prehistoric settlement.

When did it start?

It started in 7,100 BC.

OK.

According to the radiocarbon. The buildings,

some buildings, are just on top

of each other, they are following each other,

it's a very custom in central Anatolia.

So you can imagine generations and generations of people

and gradually it gets higher and higher.

These houses, over 50 years, the timespan.

Yeah.

But we found 70 burials here. It's very extraordinary.

70 burials in one house? Yes, 70 burials in one house.

When we think about burials

and particularly in later periods we,

we're used to cemeteries being separate from settlement sites.

Um, yeah. Sometimes very close, but not in them.

Not in them

but it's a Neolithic custom it's a Neolithic custom,

and then they are living here. Yeah. That's why...

So it's not like a building that goes out of use

and then becomes used as

a small cemetery - they're still living in it, at the same time.

Yeah, sure,

sure, probably for a short duration time,

probably they, ah,

left the houses because you can imagine the smell.

At its height,

how many people do you think lived here?

It's over 7,000 people.

7,000 people.

Lived together because...

So that's more than a village.

It's a 14-hectare area.

14 hectares, so it's huge, a huge site.

It's a huge area. Is it, it's not a village?

It is... Is it reasonable to call it...

2% of the area, here.

This is 2%?

Almost. This bit here is 2%?

That's crazy. Yeah.

I mean, absolutely massive...

Is it reasonable to call it a city? Or a proto city?

Proto city, yes. Yeah, yeah.

We can, we should, we should say proto city.

So this is a beginning of urban living?

Of course. Yes.

Yeah, yeah, and they are presumably. You know,

they are farmers. They are, they're farming

the surrounding countryside, they're bringing in resources from

elsewhere,

I mean, presumably they are materially rich,

then? They can acquire exotic materials?

Exotic materials, uh-huh.

And from the burials,

burials can be different, in some burials you can't find anything,

but in some burials, they are furnished with

so many materials, obsidian mirrors, daggers.

So if you've got the difference in burials...

Some people being buried with nothing,

you've got other people being buried

with objects including exotic materials. Yes.

Do you think that's showing social stratification?

Do you think it's showing that there are some people that are more

important than others?

Probably, at the base level there was a social stratification

and when you imagine 5,000 people together, probably there were

stratification, uh-hm. Yeah.

Although they've only excavated

a fraction of this extraordinary settlement

the archaeologists have been able to create

a reconstruction of what part

of Catalhoyuk would have been like 9,000 years ago.

These houses were clustered together in

a honeycomb-like maze

and could be accessed through the roof,

with the rooftops acting like streets.

They were built without windows,

they had one large living room for the family,

complete with a fireplace, beds,

raised platforms

and plastered walls decorated with murals,

and burials inside the houses.

The museum on the site displays some of

the incredibly well-preserved

artefacts found in the excavated homes.

It's been a privilege

to visit this iconic Neolithic site

but tomorrow I'm back on the trail of the Ottomans

and the lasting imprint they left across their empire.

I'm in central Turkey in the ancient city of Konya

that was pivotal to so many civilisations and religions,

from the early Christians to various followers of Islam.

Including the Ottomans, who arrived here in

the mid-15th century,

transforming the city with their trademark architecture

and numerous mosques, including their piece de resistance,

the magnificent Selimiye Mosque.

Today, Konya has barely been touched by international tourism,

but it is well-known in Turkey as a popular pilgrim destination.

And that's

because it is home to the mausoleum of

the revered 13th-century Sufi mystic,

the poet and philosopher Rumi.

In the rose garden of the religious complex I have come

to watch a modern-day performance by whirling dervishes,

followers of Rumi.

I'm also meeting tour guide Zey Inaloz,

to learn more about the spiritual basis of this dance

and about that religious leader, Rumi, himself.

CHANTING MUSIC

Hello. Hello. Shall we sit down here?

Yes, welcome.

This is amazing.

It's amazing, right.

I haven't seen whirling dervishes before.

Ah, OK, this is your first time?

It is and it's not quite what I expected,

it's extremely hypnotising, it's kind of mesmeric.

Yeah, it's totally magical.

Yeah.

The dance of whirling dervishes is called Sema,

and is, we call that Sema, sema, which means sky.

It is growing yourself an inner spiritual.

We came from the God and we will return back to God,

that's why they were holding their arms like that

and standing position.

They did that.

They did that, right.

They did that to begin with, and then they unfurl.

And unfurl

and they're opening their arms into right hands facing

to sky, left is facing to ground, to soil.

Right, yeah.

That means we came from the God

and we will return back to the God with nothing.

So, this is a kind of religious meditation.

It is exactly a kind of religious meditation.

It comes from the Sufi's custom,

because this custom became a very popular belief in Turkey.

And the meaning

of dervish itself - is this essentially,

somebody like a monk who has taken a vow of poverty?

Is that what it is?

It is not exactly poverty

but what you call dervishes is a perfection man.

He can't be anger, you can control yourself,

you should be patient.

The point is if you are able

to love at difficult things in your life,

you can be a Dervish.

And it is very hard to control yourself, indeed.

Yeah.

It is very difficult to love your hater.

Yeah. Very, very hard.

God will love you

and God will welcome you in his heaven.

And your life in the world will be heaven.

Yeah, yeah.

Because your heart already became clean.

So trying to find heaven on Earth.

Trying to achieve some kind of transcendental state

with this meditation. So a deeply spiritual thing.

Yeah, deeply spiritual thing, yeah.

Although Konya is home to

the original whirling dervishes,

It's possible to see

the Sema ceremony being performed in other

Turkish cities.

The traditional costume includes

long skirts that fan out while whirling.

But these white gowns also symbolise burial shrouds.

And the tall felt hats represent tombstones.

This cemetery is next to the historic lodge of

the dervishes,

built in the 16th century by Ottoman sultans.

There is a small mosque

and through the gate of the dervishes is the madrasah,

the theological school

for Rumi's followers who would spend up

to 1,000 days training for the Sema ceremony.

The lodge now forms part of the Mevlana Museum.

Which includes the outstanding, domed mausoleum

containing Rumi's tomb.

This is the oldest part of the complex

and was built by Rumi's sons in

the late 13th century, after he died at the age of 66.

It is one of Turkey's most important pilgrimage sites

with more than

one-and-a-half million visitors coming every year

to honour their adored Sufi mystic.

And when you step inside, it is breathtaking.

Among the opulent artefacts

is the simpler bronze Nisan Tas,

the April Bowl that collected rainwater,

sacred to local farmers,

and into which the tip of Rumi's turban was dipped

and used for healing.

The mausoleum contains a number of tombs.

But the most lavish is that of Rumi himself,

covered in an elaborate brocade embroidered in gold

with verses from the Koran.

And topped with

a huge turban symbolising his high status.

The number of wraps denotes the level of importance.

The room next to the burial chamber is where

the dervishes once prayed and performed

but today it's filled with cultural

and ritual objects, including copies of the Koran

and manuscripts of Rumi's poetry.

The dervishes also led the way in developing

the sounds of traditional Turkish religious music.

It's been a captivating journey

so far, reminding us just how much religion,

politics and power were intertwined and still are,

from the oldest mosque, in Adana,

to the huge, new Sabanci Mosque.

I've discovered

the Ottoman origins of one

of Turkey's most famous delicacies.

And I've learned about the ancient mystical practice of

the whirling dervishes of Konya.

I'm getting insights into Ottoman culture,

as well as the importance of Islam in their empire.

But there are more Ottoman secrets

and treasures that await me,

and it's time to get back on the train.

Next time, I go to the capital, Ankara,

to see the tomb of Ataturk, who ended the Ottoman Empire.

This is so impressive. It is, yeah,

it's probably the most monumental thing you will ever see.

And I take a challenging trip...

..to the old Ottoman capital,

Bursa, where it all began with a dream.

This is the mausoleum of Osman, himself,

the sultan who started the Ottoman Empire.

Two contrasting cities and two historic leaders,

who bookended 600 years of Ottoman rule.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media