Alaşehir, District center in Manisa Province, Turkey
Alaşehir sits at the foot of Mount Bozdağ in western Turkey, where the town spreads along the Kuzuçay River at roughly 190 meters above sea level. The surrounding valleys are lined with vineyards and orchards that give the landscape a green tone.
The settlement began as Philadelphia under King Attalos II of Pergamon and grew into a bishopric in early Christianity. The Ottomans captured the town in the late 14th century and renamed it Alaşehir.
Visitors today can walk among the ruins of public buildings such as a theater and stadium that recall Greek and Roman times. The name comes from Greek Philadelphia, a reminder of when the town was a center for early Christianity.
Main roads run through the center, where local markets sell fresh fruit and raisins from the surrounding area daily. Most archaeological remains lie outside the modern town center and can be reached on foot or by vehicle.
The town was one of the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation, and parts of the 6th-century Basilica of St. John remain partly visible. Hills around the town hold tombs and sarcophagi that mark the different periods of settlement.
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