Philadelphia, in Manisa's Alaşehir district, was founded by Attalos II Philadelphos; the East Gate and the monumental piers of the Byzantine-era Church of St. John survive.
Alaşehir Archaeological Site (Philadelphia) is an ancient city located in Turkey, Manisa. Main periods: Hellenistic Period, Roman Period, Byzantine Period.
Philadelphia is an ancient city in today's Alaşehir district, set on the northern foothills of the Bozdağlar. The Culture Portal puts it about 110 kilometres from the centre of Manisa. The Ministry says it was founded by Attalos II Philadelphos, one of the Pergamene kings; the Portal says the city became an important centre in his time and took the name Philadelphia from him.
History
The Ministry writes that in the Roman period the city's many temples and festivals earned it the nickname Little Athens. It stayed important in Byzantine times and was ringed by a solid wall. The Ministry does not date the wall, whereas the Culture Portal says the city was walled in the 11th century, after Turkish raids began. The Portal adds that the city's centre is locally called Toptepe, and that traces of a Protohistoric phase can be seen near the acropolis, especially in the area known as Gevurtepe.
Notable remains
The Portal reports that excavations in the early 1980s around Toptepe partly uncovered a theatre, a temple and a stadium, but because digging did not continue, these remains are hard to make out now. The Ministry's English page likewise mentions the ruins of a temple on the Toptepe plain, once the acropolis of the ancient city.
The digs also exposed the East Gate of the Byzantine walls. It is guarded by two towers, one semicircular and one rectangular. The gate was bricked up during the Turkish raids and never used afterwards.
One of the city's most imposing monuments is the Church of St. John, dated to the 6th century CE. The Ministry says it was dedicated to the apostle John and is one of seven churches of early Christianity in the Aegean region; the Portal likewise lists Philadelphia among the seven churches named in the Bible. Three monumental piers of the church are still intact. The Ministry notes that their height, thickness and link to the arches suggest a once-grand building, and the Portal says ancient carved stones and column fragments were widely reused in its construction.
Visiting
The Portal gives the site's address as Soğuksu neighbourhood, İsmet Paşa Street. For hours and entry terms, consult the Ministry's official page. The Ministry lists Manisa Museum, Sardis and the Temple of Artemis, Akhisar Museum and Hill Cemetery, and Aigai as nearby places.
