The Impact of Cultural Relations Between Iran and Konya on Cultural Tourism: A Case Study of Konya City

Cultural tourism, as a key branch of the tourism industry, plays an effective role in sustainable development, cultural diplomacy, and the strengthening of intercultural communication. The city of Konya in Türkiye holds a prominent position in the realm of spiritual tourism due to its rich mystical and cultural background and particularly its association with the global figure of Mawlana Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi (Rumi). On the other hand, Iran, sharing historical, linguistic, and spiritual commonalities, is considered one of the most important source countries for cultural tourists visiting Konya. Using a descriptive-analytical approach, the present research investigates the effect of cultural relations between Iran and Konya on the formation and expansion of cultural tourism. It analyzes the role of components such as shared heritage, Sufi rituals, the Seb-i Arus ceremony, and literary and linguistic ties in attracting Iranian tourists. The results of the study indicate that cultural and mystical commonalities provide a high capacity for the development of cultural tourism between the two countries. However, challenges such as a lack of services tailored to the needs of Iranian tourists, excessive commercialization of rituals, and weak cultural promotion have hindered the full utilization of this potential. Accordingly, measures such as designing spiritual tourism routes (e.g., the “Rumi Route”), organizing joint cultural events, producing multilingual content, and strengthening institutional cooperation can lead to an improved tourism experience and deepened cultural interactions between Iran and Türkiye. This study demonstrates that utilizing shared cultural capacities provides an efficient model for employing soft diplomacy to develop regional relations and elevate the cultural status of both countries in global tourism.

کلیدواژه ها:

Cultural Tourism ، Konya ، Rumi ، Cultural Diplomacy ، Mystical Heritage