Konya
Konya is the sixth largest city in Turkey.
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History
The first settlements near Konya are believed to be by the Hittites, who called it Ikkuwaniya. The Greeks and Romans referred to it as either Ikónion or Iconium.
The city came to be ruled by the Phrygians, then the Persians, and finally was incorporated into the Hellenic sphere of influence through the conquest of Alexander the Great. During this time it was generally ruled by the kingdom of Pergamon. The last king of Pergamon, Attalus III, died without heirs and bequeathed his domain to the Romans. Claudius incorporated the city as Claudiconium.
Within the Byzantine Empire, the city was made a metropolitan bishopric.
The city was targeted by Arab and then Turk raiders for centuries, before finally being conquered in 1084. The Battle of Iconium in 1090 saw it briefly recaptured by Frederick Barbarossa during the Third Crusade.
In 1243 it was made the capital of the Sultanate of Rum. It remained a provincial capital within the Ottoman Empire and Turkish state that followed it.
Government
Municipal elections are held simultaneously across Turkey every five years. The province of Konya is comprised of 31 districts, each electing their own mayor. The Konya Metropolitan Municipality covers 3 of these districts and elects an additional, superior mayor.
The provincial government is led by a governor appointed by the president.