Archeology shows that the Konya region is one of the most ancient settlemenents of Anatolia The results of excavation in Çatalhöyük, Karahöyük, Çukurkent and Küçükköy show the region was inhabited as far back as the Neolithic Period of BC 7000. The periods of history before Islam were the Kalkolitic, Bronze, Hitite, Frig, Lidia, Pers Roman and finally Byzantium. The first exposure of the city to Islam hoppened during the time of the Khalifa Muaviya. Later, attacks made by arabic Muslims, whether Emevi's or Abbasi's, yielded no results. Konya's real meeting with and adopting of Islam began some time after the victory at Malazgirt, in the time of Kutalmışoğlu Süleyman. The attacks of the Crusades from 1076 to the beginning and end of the twelfth century could not wrench the city from Islam. Konya is capitol of Seljuk Anatolia. From 1220-1221 Alaaddin Keykubat I repaired the city walls and decorated them with towers. But the city bas been the site of a power-struggle between the powers of Seljuks, Karamanoglus, Mongols, and ilhans and it changed hands a few times. At the end of the thirteenth century Konya was conquered by the Ottomans. But at the beginning of the fourteenth century the city fell into the hands of the Karamanoglus, with the help of Tamerlane. In the time of Fatih Sultan Mehmet, in 1466, Konya joined the lands of the Ottoman State never to be separated again. During the days of the Republic, Konya was the largest city of the country in regard to geographical area. Even though Karaman, which includes the towns of Ayrancı, Ermenek, Kazımkarabekir, has become its own city, Konya is still the largest. At the north of the hill stands Alaaddin Mosque. It was under renovation that lasted for years. The Mausoleum which includes eight Seljuk sultans'coffins, eshecially Alaaddin Keykubad's coffin, is in the garden of the mosque. If you stand at the east of the Hill and beside the Martyrs Monument, you will see, at the end of the twolane road in front of you, the dergah of Mevlana with its dazzling green dome. You can see the minarets of Sultan Selim Mosque, which was built by Selim II, on the right of the dergah. Since 1926 the dergah has been used as museum. The considerably rich background of Konya has been enough to make her seen as an open-air museum, with numerous historical sites and a large number of works of art.