Manisa: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Ağlayan Kaya, Spil Dağı.jpg|thumb|The Weeping Rock]] |
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* '''[[Sardis]]''' (''Sart'') — Formerly the ancient capital city of the Lydians (the indigenous people of the inland Central Aegean in ancient times), Sardis is 62 km east of Manisa, close to the town of [[Salihli]] and just off the highway to Ankara. Sardis features an almost totally intact gymnasium, a temple dedicated to Artemis, and a synagogue (the oldest one in Asia Minor, dating back to Roman times). |
* '''[[Sardis]]''' (''Sart'') — Formerly the ancient capital city of the Lydians (the indigenous people of the inland Central Aegean in ancient times), Sardis is 62 km east of Manisa, close to the town of [[Salihli]] and just off the highway to Ankara. Sardis features an almost totally intact gymnasium, a temple dedicated to Artemis, and a synagogue (the oldest one in Asia Minor, dating back to Roman times). |
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Revision as of 10:09, 13 July 2022
Manisa is an inland city in the Central Aegean region of Turkey.
Understand
Just east of the coastal city of Izmir over the Sabuncubeli Pass, Manisa was founded as Magnesia in 190 BCE. An important yet provincial centre during the Ottoman period, Manisa is one of the industrial powerhouses of Turkish economy. As of 2010, the city has a population of around 300,000.
Get in
By bus
Buses from Istanbul towards Izmir call at Manisa, taking 6 hr 30 min via Bursa and Balıkesir, for a fare in 2022 of 450 TL. They run hourly or better. Operators include Metro Turizm and Flixbus; the Pamukkale buses fly past on the motorway and don't call here.
There is a very frequent bus and dolmuş service between Izmir and Manisa, taking 35 min. Take a local bus, inter-city bus companies won't sell tickets for this short hop.
1 Otobus Terminal is the station for inter-city buses, 2 km north of the centre at the junction of D565 and the ring road.
2 Otogar for local buses is on Mimar Sinan Bvd northwest side of town centre.
By train
There are three trains a day from Izmir Basmane, taking 90 min, and continuing to Soma and Balıkesir then either north to Bandırma (for ferries to Istanbul) or east to Kütahya, Eskişehir and Ankara.
The overnight train from Ankara is İzmir Mavi Treni (Blue Train), departing at 21:00 to reach Eskişehir at midnight, Manisa at 09:00 and Izmir at 10:30.
Ege Ekspresi (Aegean Express) is a daytime train from Eskişehir (which has YHT trains from Istanbul, Ankara and Konya). It departs at noon to reach Manisa at 21:00 and Izmir at 22:40.
17 Eylül Ekpresi (17th of September Express) leaves Bandırma at 16:00, so you can connect by ferry same-day from Istanbul. It reaches Manisa at 20:30 and Izmir at 22:00.
See Turkish State Railways TCDD for timetables, fares and online tickets.
The 3 railway station is 500 m northeast of town centre.
By road
Manisa stands on the historic Istanbul to Izmir road. You nowadays approach from the north on O-5 toll motorway, or the old road E881. O-5 nowadays bypasses some distance from Manisa, avoiding the mountain, so you need to exit south of Akhisar onto D565 and follow this into town. Stay on it southwest to continue into Izmir.
Get around
See
- 1 Sultan Mosque, Izmir Cd 38. 24 hr. Centrepiece of town, this is a striking 16th century mosque and religious complex built for Ayşe Hafsa Sultan, mother of Süleyman the Magnificent. Within the complex (külliye), the hospital (darüşşifa) specialised in mental iillness. Free.
- Muradiye Mosque, 1905 Sk 47 (one block south of Sultan Mosque). 24 hr. Mosque designed by the renowned Mimar Sinan and completed in 1586. Its interior is richly decorated with Iznik tiles. The medrese also survives, and the soup kitchen (imaret) is the archaeological museum. Free.
- Archaeological Museum in the Muradiye soup kitchen remains closed in 2022.
- 2 Hatuniye Mosque, Atatürk Bvd 1. 24 hr. Bright red sandstone mosque built around 1500. Free.
- 3 Weeping Rock (Ağlayan Kaya) is a rock formation south edge of town at the end of Cumludere Cd. It resembles a face and groundwater seeps from its "eyes". In legend this is Niobe, who got uppity so the gods killed 14 of her children then turned her to stone. One child survived but turned green with the trauma, and was thus named Choris.
- 4 Mount Sipylus or Spil (Spil Dağı) is the 1513 m mountain south of town. It's a popular weekend retreat for locals, with forests, wild tulips, herds of wild horses and beautiful scenery. In winter it often has snow. Its upper slopes are a national park, Spil Dağı Milli Park. You can drive almost to the suummit, then park and hike up the lane for the last km.
- 5 Cybele is the goddess carved into the cliff face along D250. She was an Anatolian deity, variously depicted as a plump earth-mother, a matronly civic protector, or a wild-child arriving in a lion-powered chariot with music and wine spilling out onto her weirdo companions. In the Roman era she was re-imported here as a goddess of Troy, but this particular carving is believed to be Hittite, say 1500 BC. She's 8 m tall but crumbling and her head has cleaved.
Do
- Football: Manisaspor were relegated in 2022 and now play soccer in TFF Second League, the country's third tier. Their home ground 19 May Stadium (capacity 16,600) is 2 km northeast of town centre along Akhisar Cd.
- Fitness: in legend, Sisyphus was king of Ephyra and often killed guests and travellers to his palace. This earned him poor online reviews, especially from almighty Zeus, but Sisyphus reckoned he could outsmart the gods and on a couple of occasions did so. When he died and came to the underworld, he was assigned forever to roll a boulder up a mountain, whereupon it rolled right back. Scholars long described this as a futile, literally soul-destroying task, but Albert Camus (1913-1960) was the first to see the funny side. Sisyphus had invented fitness centres! Legend does not say which mountain, but this city is associated with Tantalus who was also given a futile punishment, see Drink. Appropriately, Manisa has a couple of dozen gyms: near town centre are Press Box, Best, UltFit Life Kadın, Victoria Gym, Ekol and Onur Park. None mention a pool.
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
- 1 Asmalıhan Otel, 1101 Sk 1 (on Atatürk Bvd), ☏ +90 236 290 1131. This may be your best bet in town centre, simple but clean and efficient. B&B double 500 TL.
- 2 Double Tree by Hilton, Mimar Sinan Bvd 242 (2 km west of centre), ☏ +90 236 999 1111. Boxy modern business hotel, good scores for comfort and service. B&B double 1200 TL.
- Büyük Saruhan, Nusret Köklü Cd 4 (west side of Hilton off Mimar Sinan Cd), ☏ +90 236 233 0272. Another business hotel, mostly good reviews. B&B double 1200 TL.
- 3 Rose Bay Hotel, 5803 Sk 2 (jcn D565 & D250), ☏ +90 236 503 0888. Economy edge of town hotel, convenient for motorists. B&B double 500 TL.
Connect
Manisa and its approach roads have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of July 2022, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.
Go next
- Sardis (Sart) — Formerly the ancient capital city of the Lydians (the indigenous people of the inland Central Aegean in ancient times), Sardis is 62 km east of Manisa, close to the town of Salihli and just off the highway to Ankara. Sardis features an almost totally intact gymnasium, a temple dedicated to Artemis, and a synagogue (the oldest one in Asia Minor, dating back to Roman times).
| Routes through Manisa |
| Bursa ← Akhisar ← | N  S
|
→ Izmir → Çeşme |