Photo: Janabaevazizbek (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source Manisa is the province of Sardis, capital of the Lydian Kingdom (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2025); of Thyateira and Philadelphia, two of the seven churches of Christianity; of the "City of Princes" where Ottoman princes were trained; and of the Kula-Salihli Geopark, Türkiye's only UNESCO Global Geopark. Highlights are the Sultan and Muradiye mosques, Mount Spil and Niobe's Weeping Rock, the Gördes and Kula carpets and the Mesir Paste Festival, which is on the UNESCO list. Mesir paste, sultana grapes and Kırkağaç melons are all registered.
Last updated:
12 places worth seeing in Manisa, from historic monuments to natural wonders, grouped by type. Open any of them on the map with a single click.
Photo: Janabaevazizbek (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source 9 km from Salihli, Sardis was the capital of the Lydian Kingdom and is famous for its Roman-era gymnasium and bath complex, one of the largest ancient synagogues in Anatolia and the giant Temple of Artemis. Together with the Lydian tumuli of Bin Tepe (Bintepeler) it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025.
View on map
Photo: simonjenkins (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Source One of the largest Ionic temples in Anatolia, begun in the Hellenistic period and continued under the Romans; two of its columns are still standing.
View on map
Photo: Sharon Hahn Darlin (CC BY 2.0) · Source A city in Alaşehir founded in the 2nd century BC by Attalus II, King of Pergamon, and home to one of the seven churches of the Book of Revelation; the giant piers of the St John Basilica are still standing.
View on mapAn ancient city in the centre of Akhisar, site of one of the seven churches of the Book of Revelation; its ruins can be seen at the locality known as Tepe Mezarı.
View on mapA complex built in 1522 by Ayşe Hafsa Sultan, mother of Suleiman the Magnificent, made up of a mosque, madrasa, imaret (soup kitchen), hammam and a darüşşifa (hospital) where the mentally ill were also treated. The Mesir Paste Festival is held here.
View on map
Photo: Ziegler175 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source The mosque of the complex designed by Mimar Sinan in 1583–1585 for Murad III; with its two minarets and the İznik tiles of the interior, it is the most elegant Ottoman building in Manisa.
View on map
Photo: Ibra~28 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A museum in Gördes displaying examples of Gördes carpet weaving, which gave its name to the Turkish knot.
View on map
Photo: Okansoyluturk (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A national park on the border of Manisa and Izmir, declared in 1968; it is known for its yılkı horses (feral horses), where old horses have been left to roam since Ottoman times, for the endemic Manisa tulip and for the Atalanı plateau.
View on map
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · Source A rock in the Çaybaşı neighbourhood, at the exit of Mount Spil, associated with the legend of Niobe, who lost her children and wept until she turned to stone.
View on map
In Kula and Salihli, Türkiye's only UNESCO Global Geopark, with young volcanic cones, lava flows, fairy chimneys and fossil human footprints; in antiquity it was known as Katakekaumene (the Burnt Land).
View on map
Photo: Özge mahan (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A shallow lake between Gölmarmara and Salihli, rich in bird species.
View on map
Photo: Dosseman (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A monument in the city centre, with a mortar and tulip motifs, symbolising the mesir paste prepared by Merkez Efendi.
View on mapManisa lies in the interior of the Aegean region, north of the Gediz Plain and at the foot of Mount Spil. Its ancient name was Magnesia ad Sipylum; the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC was the turning point in Rome’s settlement of Anatolia. The province’s most important ancient city is Sardis at Salihli: the capital of the Lydian Kingdom, it was ruled by King Croesus, famed for his legendary wealth, and the world’s first coins were minted in this kingdom. Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025. Akhisar (Thyateira) and Alaşehir (Philadelphia) were home to two of the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
Manisa was the centre of the Saruhan Principality (Saruhanoğulları Beyliği), founded by Saruhan Bey at the beginning of the 14th century, and joined the Ottoman Empire in 1410. In the 15th and 16th centuries it was one of the main cities where Ottoman princes gained experience of government as sanjak-beys, and it is therefore known as the “City of Princes” (Şehzadeler Şehri); Suleiman the Magnificent also served here as a prince. The Mesir Paste Festival, at which the mesir paste prepared by Merkez Efendi is scattered to the public every year at the Sultan Mosque complex built by Ayşe Hafsa Sultan, mother of Suleiman the Magnificent, is on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
The area around Kula in the east of the province, with its volcanic cones, lava flows and fairy chimneys, was known in antiquity as “Katakekaumene” (the Burnt Land); today it is the Kula-Salihli Geopark, Türkiye’s only UNESCO Global Geopark.
Manisa has a Mediterranean climate: summers are very hot and dry, winters mild and wet. Averages for 1930–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month | Avg. high | Avg. low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10.9 °C | 3.1 °C | 127 mm | 13 |
| February | 12.7 °C | 3.7 °C | 106 mm | 11 |
| March | 16.3 °C | 5.4 °C | 77 mm | 10 |
| April | 21.5 °C | 9.0 °C | 55 mm | 9 |
| May | 27.1 °C | 13.4 °C | 38 mm | 7 |
| June | 32.2 °C | 17.7 °C | 20 mm | 3 |
| July | 35.1 °C | 20.6 °C | 10 mm | 1 |
| August | 35.0 °C | 20.5 °C | 9 mm | 1 |
| September | 30.8 °C | 16.3 °C | 20 mm | 2 |
| October | 24.4 °C | 11.9 °C | 51 mm | 6 |
| November | 17.6 °C | 7.6 °C | 89 mm | 9 |
| December | 12.4 °C | 4.6 °C | 137 mm | 14 |
The best times to visit are April–May and October–November. The Mesir Paste Festival is held every spring (usually in March–April). In July–August temperatures exceed 35 °C; visit open-air sites such as Sardis and Kula early in the morning. The grape harvest takes place in August–September.
By air: There is no airport in the province; the nearest is Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport, about 50 km away.
By train: Manisa lies on the Izmir–Ankara and Izmir–Uşak railway lines; regional trains from Izmir take about 1 hour. Salihli and Alaşehir are on the same line.
By road: It is about 40 km to Izmir, and the Sabuncubeli Tunnel has shortened the connection. Salihli and Kula lie on the Izmir–Ankara highway.
Day 1 – Manisa centre: The Sultan Mosque and Darüşşifa, Muradiye Mosque and Manisa Museum; in the afternoon the Weeping Rock on Mount Spil and a walk in the national park. In the evening, Manisa kebabı.
Day 2 – Sardis and Kula: In the morning the gymnasium, synagogue and Temple of Artemis at Sardis; in the afternoon the volcanic cones and fairy chimneys of the Kula Geopark and the historic Kula houses.
Day 3 – The north: Thyateira and olive oil in Akhisar; melons in Kırkağaç if they are in season.
Manisa is famous for its vineyards: Manisa sultana seedless grapes and Saruhanlı seedless white grapes form the basis of Türkiye’s raisin exports. The symbol of the city is Manisa mesir paste, said to be made from forty-one kinds of spices and medicinal herbs; it was registered as a geographical indication in the EU in 2024. Other delicacies with registered geographical indications are Akhisar köfte (Akhisar meatballs), Salihli odun köfte (Salihli wood-fired meatballs), Manisa taban simidi, Alaşehir kapaması, Alaşehir tahinli pidesi (Alaşehir tahini flatbread), Alaşehir ekmeği (Alaşehir bread), Kırkağaç pideli paça (trotters with pide), Kırkağaç topalak yemeği and Soma helvası (Soma halva). Products include Kırkağaç melons, Akhisar Domat and Uslu olives and olive oils, Soma olive oil, Salihli cherries, Demirci cherries, Köprübaşı strawberries, Kula leblebisi (Kula roasted chickpeas), Demirci hünnabı (Demirci jujube), Manisa and Alaşehir vine leaves and Emcelli pepper.
Gördes hand-woven carpet, which gave its name to the double-knot technique of Anatolian Turkish carpets, Kula hand-woven carpet and Yuntdağı hand-woven carpet all have registered geographical indications; Gökeyüp pottery is also a registered handicraft.
Manisa province has 17 districts. Explore the places to visit, local dishes and transport in each one.
Meatballs with a registered geographical indication.
Meatballs with a registered geographical indication.
A local dish with a registered geographical indication.
A simit with a registered geographical indication.
Halva with a registered geographical indication.
The main stops are the ancient city of Sardis and the Temple of Artemis, the Sultan and Muradiye mosques, Manisa Museum, Mount Spil and the Weeping Rock, the Kula-Salihli Geopark, Philadelphia, Thyateira and the Gördes Carpet Museum.
According to tradition, Merkez Efendi prepared it for Hafsa Sultan; it is a paste made from dozens of spices and herbs, and it is scattered to the public every year at the Mesir Paste Festival.
Yes. Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025.
Mesir paste, sultana grapes, Kırkağaç melons, Akhisar olives and the Gördes and Kula carpets.
April–May and October–November are the best times; spring is ideal for the Mesir Festival.
The information in this guide has been compiled from and checked against the sources below (last checked: 8 October 2026). If you spot an error, please let us know.