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Metropolitan municipality in Manisa Province, Aegean Region, Turkey
Photo: Carole Raddato, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Manisa is a city in the Central Aegean region of Turkey, on the slopes of Mount Spil or Sipylus 65 km northeast of Izmir. It's modern and industrial but has many old mosques. In 2021 Manisa province had a population of 1,456,626, with 257,993 in Yunusemre the district covering most of the city.
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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 illness.
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.
Bright red sandstone mosque built around 1500. Buried in the garden is Mehmed Rushdi Pasha (1811-1882), who had five spells as Grand Vizier of Turkey.
Built in 1368, this was a lodge for the Mevlevi, the Sufi Islamic group known in the west as "whirling dervishes". The building is now a museum. You'll often find wedding parties having their photos taken, as next door is a wedding venue or Düğün Salonu.
This may be your best bet in town centre, simple but clean and efficient.
Boxy modern business hotel, good scores for comfort and service.
Another business hotel, mostly good reviews.
Economy edge of town hotel, convenient for motorists.
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.
By train
There are four trains a day from Izmir Basmane, taking 90 min, and continuing to Konya, or to Soma and Balıkesir then either north to Bandırma (for ferries to Istanbul) or east to Kütahya, Eskişehir…
By road
Manisa stands on the historic Istanbul to Izmir road. You approach from the north on O-5 toll motorway, or the old road E881.
The central sights are easy to walk around, as are those on the hill (such Weeping Rock) 1 km south of downtown.
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Gaziemir · International · ADB
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