Things to Do in Gördes: 3 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Gördes

• 1 Museum
• 2 Nature

i Photo: Ibra~28 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

1 🖼️ Museum

Gördes Carpet Museum

A museum presenting the history and importance of carpet weaving in Gördes.

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2 🌳 Nature

Gördes Dam

A dam built on the Gediz River. With the green areas around it, it is a picnic area suitable for picnics and nature walks.

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3 🌳 Nature

Gördes (Kum Çayı) stream

The district's most important watercourse. Forested areas make up a significant share of the district, around 45%.

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While you are in Gördes, you can also see the highlights of Manisa province. These places are in other districts; Gördes is about 100 km from the provincial centre.

• Sardis (Sart) Ancient City — 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.
• Temple of Artemis at Sardis — 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.
• Sultan Mosque and Hafsa Sultan Hospital (Darüşşifa) — A 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.
• Muradiye Mosque — 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.
• Mount Spil National Park — 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.
• Weeping Rock (Niobe) — 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.

Practical Information for Visiting Gördes

Suggested time

Half a day

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn

Places to visit

3 places

• 🍖

  Manisa Kebabı (marinated lamb kebab)

  Prepared by marinating lamb in special spices and then cooking it. This dish has an important place on local tables and is prepared using traditional recipes. The recipe, passed down through generations, varies slightly from family to family.

• 🥘

  Keşkek (wheat and meat porridge)

  A traditional dish made by simmering cracked wheat and meat for a long time. Prepared from recipes passed down through generations, it is an important part of the local food culture. Listed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List, keşkek is a source of pride in Turkish cuisine.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Gördes

• 🧶

  Carpet Weaving Tradition

  Gördes is one of the most important centres of Turkish carpet weaving. The carpet knotting technique known as the 'Gördes knot' (Turkish knot) has entered the world's carpet terminology.

Local Products

• Gördes El Halısı (Gördes hand-woven carpet) — Gördes El Halısı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 14 November 1997 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 20). Product group: carpets and kilims. Registered by: Gördes Municipality.
• Gördes Halısı (Gördes carpet) — Gördes has been known for hand-woven carpet production for centuries. The carpet knotting technique known as the Gördes knot is world-famous.

Economy

Gördes's economy is based on farming, livestock and carpet weaving. Hand-woven carpet production continues as a traditional craft.

How to Get to Gördes

Gördes is 100 km from Manisa provincial centre. Access is by road.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Manisa

Gördes: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Gördes Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Manisa The province's 12 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Manisa

• Ahmetli 3 places Ahmetli Mosque, Gediz Plain Views and Çakıcı Mehmet Efe Bridge
• Akhisar 4 places Thyateira Ancient City, Akhisar Grand Mosque and Akhisar Archaeology Museum
• Alaşehir 3 places Philadelphia Ancient City, Alaşehir Grand Mosque and Yıldırım Bayezid Mosque
• Demirci 3 places Demirci Mansions, Demirci Grand Mosque and Demirci Mountains
• Gölmarmara 7 places Lake Marmara, Gölmarmara Mosque and Halime Hatun Complex
• Kırkağaç 6 places Nakrasa, Stratonikeia and Kırkağaç Grand Mosque
• Köprübaşı 5 places Demirköprü Dam, Historic Bridge and Köprübaşı Mosque
• Kula 6 places Kula Geopark, Yanık Ülke (Katakekaumene) and Divlit Tepe
• Salihli 6 places Sardes Ancient City, Bin Tepeler and Daldis Ancient City
• Sarıgöl 4 places Sarıgöl Ulu Mosque, Vineyards and Afşar Dam
• Saruhanlı 5 places Gediz Plain, Saruhanlı Grand Mosque and View of the Gediz Plain
• Selendi 5 places Kınık Neighbourhood picnic area, Gavur Evleri rock tombs and Selendi Mosque
• Soma 3 places Soma Castle, Hıdırlık Hill and Emir Hacı Hıdır Bey Mosque
• Şehzadeler 4 places Sultan Mosque, Manisa Museum and Niobe Rock (Weeping Rock)
• Turgutlu 4 places Urganlı Hot Springs, Karaca Ali Canyon and Ovacık Plateau
• Yunusemre 6 places Yoğurtçu Castle, Weeping Rock and Mount Spil National Park