Konya

Konya, on the central Anatolian plateau, is one of Turkey's most historic cities — capital of the Seljuk Sultanate between the 11th and 14th centuries — and a sporting powerhouse recognised twice over by ACES: World Capital of Sport 2023 and European Cycling Capital 2026. The first title came after Abu Dhabi, Guadalajara and Madrid, backed by top-tier facilities, close to 80% of the population active, and a cycle-path network of around 550 kilometres, one of the longest in the world — which is also the reason for its second, cycling award. Shortly before holding the world title, the city staged the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games in August 2022, with more than 4,000 athletes from 55 nations, and has hosted the ACES World Sports Congress. Konya approached its world year with a planned investment of 300 million euros and a declared ambition one day to bid for the Olympic Games.