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The 468th
International Manisa Mesir Festival will be held on March 23, with the
participation of foreign guests from Germany Sweden, Hungary, Japan,
China, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Italy. In
this international event, some of the countries will participate by
contributing something from their own nations to add color to the
festivities and make it a truly international event. According to the
story behind the festival says that Hafsa Sultan, the wife of Ottoman
Sultan Yavuz Sultan Selim and the mother of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman,
known as Süleyman the Magnificent, once fell ill while she was in
Manisa. Seraching for a cure, the head of the Sultan Mosque Madrasah,
Merkez Efendi, prepared a paste mixture using 41 different herbs and
spices. After her recovery, Hafsa Sultan ordered this medicine be given
to similarly sick people. Responding to public demand, the dried paste
was wrapped in paper and tossed out from the dome and minarets of Sultan
Mosque and this is how the Manisa Mesir Festival began. The
16th-century-Sultan Mosque
was built in the honor of
Hafsa Sultan. The Mesir Macunu spiced candy, which is supposed to
restore health, youth and vigor, is
made and distributed every March, on the grounds of this mosque.
Manisa is a
beautiful, modern Aegean city with a long past. Its history goes back to
500 BC, but the first known settlements date back to the 14th century BC.
Since the great Ottoman sultans chose Manisa as the training ground for
crown princes, there are many examples of Ottoman architecture, as well
as Seljuk buildings. The Muradiye Mosque of the 16th century was built
by the great architect Sinan, and the Murad Bey Medresse now houses the
Archaeological Museum of Manisa. Manisa celebrates the annual Vintage
Festival every September, when the bringing of the fruits of the
vineyards is celebrated with excitement. The vineyards surround the city
and provide dry fruit for export from the port of Izmir and grapes for
wine making. The Spil Mountain National Park is a cool spot with a
richly forested area, hot springs and a profusion of flowers, especially
wild tulips known as Anemon. There are about 120 kinds of native plants
here. Sardis, in Salihli, is one of the most remarkable scenic areas of
Turkey. It is the ancient capital of Lydia, once ruled by King Croesus,
the first ruler to use silver and golden coins in exchange for goods.
Since Sardis has been rocked by earthquakes, most of its remains date
back only to Roman times. There are the remains of the temple of Artemis
and a restored gymnasium, exhibiting the past splendor of this ancient
city. The splendid synagogue from the 3rd century is worth visiting,
with its elaborate mosaics and artfully carved colored-stone panels.
Sardis was also one of the Seven Churches of the Revelation of St. John.
At the village of Sindelli there are fossilized footprints of early
humans, belonging to the period of 50-25th century BC. The ruins of the
ancient city of Philadelphia, another of the Seven Churches, lie in the
Alaşehir area. From the ancient city nothing much is left, except some
ruins of a Byzantine church. Houses at Kula are beautiful examples of
Ottoman architecture. Yunt Dağı, Gordes, Kula and Demirci are famous for
their fine carpets and kilims. In addition, there are many thermal
springs throughout the area.
