Eclipse of the Sun 2006
Effects of the solar eclipse on the Turkish city of Konya

Solar Eclipse News: 15 March 2006 -- Watch out Konya, here they come! Hotel bookings are going through the roof as city planners pull out all stops getting ready for Solar Eclipse 2006. Hotel reservations have reached the 90% level in this city -- where Total Solar Eclipse will last a full 3 minutes and 11 seconds -- longer than anywhere in Turkey. The heavy bookings are in part due to the efforts of the cultural attache at the Turkish Embassy in Italy, Serra Aytun -- who has managed to stir considerable Italian interest in the event. As a result, several Italian Film Production Companies have applied for permission to visit Konya during the week of 27 March -- to record the natural event itself, as well as the related man-made ceremonies. Accordingly, to add drama, city planners are organizing a performance by Whirling Dervishes during the 3 minute 11 second full-solar-eclipse period. We wonder if the city's most famous son, Mevlana, would have approved of such touristic 'entertainments' for an eclipse of the sun? Or is he fidgeting... and about to turn over in his grave...