Alaşehir () is a municipality and

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

Manisa Province Manisa Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality in western Turkey. Its area is 13,339 km2, and its population is 1,468,279 (2022). Its neighboring provinces are İzmi ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. Its area is 971 km², and its population is 104,717 (2022). It is situated in the valley of the Kuzuçay ( Cogamus in antiquity), at the foot of the Bozdağ Mountain ( Mount Tmolus in antiquity). The town is connected to

İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...

by a railway. Founded in antiquity as Philadelphia (, i.e., "the city of him who loves his brother"), the town was known as such until it was conquered by the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

in 1390. Alaşehir stands on elevated ground commanding the extensive and fertile plain of the Gediz River ( Hermus in antiquity), presenting an imposing appearance when seen from a distance. It has about 45

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

s. There are small industries and a fair trade. From one of the mineral springs comes a heavily charged water popular around Turkey. Within Turkey, the city's name is synonymous with the dried Sultana

raisin A raisin is a Dried fruit, dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and South Afri ...

s, although cultivation for the fresh fruit market, less labour-intensive than the dried fruit, has gained prominence in recent decades. As Philadelphia, Alaşehir was a highly important center in the

Early Christian Early Christianity, otherwise called the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity, describes the historical era of the Christian religion up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Christianity spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and be ...

and

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

periods. It remained a strong center of Orthodox Christianity until the early 20th century, and remains a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Name

The Turkish name Alaşehir, which translates as "multicolored town", is first attested in the memoir of the 13th-century historian Ibn Bibi. The town was founded by King Attalus II Philadelphus () of

Pergamon Pergamon or Pergamum ( or ; ), also referred to by its modern Greek form Pergamos (), was a rich and powerful ancient Greece, ancient Greek city in Aeolis. It is located from the modern coastline of the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north s ...

with the Greek name "Philadelphia". According to numismatic evidence, Philadelphia was briefly given the Latin name "Neocaesarea" during the reigns of the Roman

emperors The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/ grand empress dowager), or a woman who rule ...

Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called Gaius and Caligula (), was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Ag ...

() and

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; ; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or Claudius, was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusus and Ant ...

(). The town reverted to its original name Philadelphia after Claudius, but under Emperor

Vespasian Vespasian (; ; 17 November AD 9 – 23 June 79) was Roman emperor from 69 to 79. The last emperor to reign in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for 27 years. His fiscal reforms and consolida ...

(), the town used the Latin appellation ''Flavia'' to honor the imperial house (i.e. "Flavia Philadelphia"). The town remained known as Philadelphia until the Ottoman

conquest Conquest involves the annexation or control of another entity's territory through war or Coercion (international relations), coercion. Historically, conquests occurred frequently in the international system, and there were limited normative or ...

in 1390.

Geography

Philadelphia was historically located in

Lydia Lydia (; ) was an Iron Age Monarchy, kingdom situated in western Anatolia, in modern-day Turkey. Later, it became an important province of the Achaemenid Empire and then the Roman Empire. Its capital was Sardis. At some point before 800 BC, ...

near the northeast foot of Mount Tmolus (modern-day Bozdağ) in the rich valley of the Cogamis river, which was a southern tributary of the Hermus River (modern-day Gediz). It was located in southern Catacecaumene, on the road connecting

Sardis Sardis ( ) or Sardes ( ; Lydian language, Lydian: , romanized: ; ; ) was an ancient city best known as the capital of the Lydian Empire. After the fall of the Lydian Empire, it became the capital of the Achaemenid Empire, Persian Lydia (satrapy) ...

and Laodicea. Philadelphia was well known for its vulnerability to earthquakes.

History

Ancient episcopal sees of the late Roman province of Lydia are listed in the ''

Annuario Pontificio The ''Annuario Pontificio'' ( Italian for ''Pontifical Yearbook'') is the annual directory of the Holy See of the Catholic Church. It lists the popes in chronological order and all officials of the Holy See's departments. It also provides nam ...

'' as

Ancient Philadelphia

Alaşehir began as perhaps one of the first ancient cities with the name Philadelphia. It was established in 189 BC by King Eumenes II of

(197–160 BC). Eumenes II named the city for the love of his brother, who would be his successor, Attalus II (159–138 BC), whose loyalty earned him the nickname, "Philadelphos", literally meaning "one who loves his brother". The city is perhaps best known as the site of one of the seven churches of Asia in the

Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation, also known as the Book of the Apocalypse or the Apocalypse of John, is the final book of the New Testament, and therefore the final book of the Bible#Christian Bible, Christian Bible. Written in Greek language, Greek, ...

. Lacking an heir, Attalus III Philometer, the last of the Attalid kings of Pergamum, bequeathed his kingdom, including Philadelphia, to his Roman allies when he died in 133 BC. Rome established the province of

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

in 129 BC by combining

Ionia Ionia ( ) was an ancient region encompassing the central part of the western coast of Anatolia. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements. Never a unified state, it was named after the Ionians who ...

and the former Kingdom of Pergamon. Carved stone slab 01

Roman Philadelphia

Philadelphia was in the administrative district of

(Pliny NH 5.111). In AD 17, the city suffered badly in an earthquake, and Roman Emperor

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus ( ; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was Roman emperor from AD 14 until 37. He succeeded his stepfather Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC to Roman politician Tiberius Cl ...

relieved it of having to pay taxes (Tacitus ''Annales'' 2.47, cf. Strabo 12.8.18, 13.4.10, John Lydus ''de mensibus'' 4.115). In response, the city granted honors to Tiberius. Evidence from coinage reveals that

helped the city; under

, Philadelphia received his cognomen, Flavia. Under

Caracalla Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname Caracalla (; ), was Roman emperor from 198 to 217 AD, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father and then r ...

, Philadelphia housed an imperial cult. Its coins bore the word ''Neokoron'' (literally, "temple-sweeper", caretaker of the temple). A small theatre, located at the northern edge of Toptepe Hill, is all that remains of Roman Philadelphia. Carved stone slab 02

Philadelphia in the Book of Revelation

Although several ancient cities bore the name of Philadelphia, it is generally agreed to be the one listed among the seven churches written to by John in the

. Philadelphia is listed as the sixth church of the seven. A letter specifically addressed to the Philadelphian church is recorded in (). The city's history of

earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

s may lie behind the reference to making her church "a pillar in the temple" (). Aside from the fact that

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...

was warned of

temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

lasting "ten days", and Philadelphia was promised a total exemption, or preservation, from temptation, Philadelphia shares with Smyrna the distinction of receiving nothing but praise from

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

. That explains why modern

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

churches sometimes use "Philadelphia" as a component in the local church's name as a way of emphasizing its faithfulness.

Philadelphia in Patristic literature

Philadelphia remained a major Christian center also after the New Testament period. One of

Ignatius of Antioch Ignatius of Antioch (; ; died 108/140), also known as Ignatius Theophorus (), was an early Christian writer and Patriarch of Antioch. While en route to Rome, where he met his Christian martyrs, martyrdom, Ignatius wrote a series of letters. This ...

's epistles in early 2nd century was addressed to the Christians of that city. Church historian

Eusebius Eusebius of Caesarea (30 May AD 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilius, was a historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christian polemicist from the Roman province of Syria Palaestina. In about AD 314 he became the bishop of Caesarea Maritima. ...

recognized Ammia of Philadelphia, an early Christian prophetess active in the late 1st and early 2nd centuries CE, as a key contributor to the apostolic prophetic tradition in the Philadelphia community. Her ministry aligned with orthodox Christianity, adhering to mainstream beliefs of the time. Eusebius described her as one who “prophesied under the

New Covenant The New Covenant () is a biblical interpretation which was originally derived from a Book of Jeremiah#Sections of the Book, phrase which is contained in the Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31–34), in the Hebrew Bible (or the Old Testament of the ...

," distinguishing her from

Montanism Montanism (), known by its adherents as the New Revelation, was an History of Christianity#Early Christianity (c. 31/33–324), early Christian movement of the Christianity in the 2nd century, mid-to-late 2nd century, later referred to by the n ...

, who sought to claim her legacy.Kidson, L. M. (2018, May 28). ''Ammia in Philadelphia''. ''Engendered Ideas''. https://engenderedideas.wordpress.com/2018/05/28/ammia-in-philadelphia/

Byzantine Philadelphia

Philadelphia was a prosperous Byzantine city that was called the "little

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

" in the 6th century AD because of its festivals and temples. Presumably, that indicates that the city was not entirely converted to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

. In about 600, the domed Basilica of St. John was built, remains of which are the main archaeological attraction in the modern city. The Byzantine walls that once surrounded the city have all but crumbled away. A few remnants are still visible at the northeast edge of town, near the bus stand. The city was taken by the Seljuk Turks in 1074 and 1093–1094. In 1098, during the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the Middle Ages. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Muslim conquest ...

, it was recovered by

Byzantine Emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...

Alexios I. In the 11th to the 15th centuries AD, it was the seat of the ''doux'' (governor) and '' stratopedarches'' (military commander) of the Thrakesion theme. It was the centre of several revolts against ruling Byzantine emperors: in 1182, led by John Komnenos Vatatzes, and 1188–1205 or 1206, led by Theodore Mangaphas, a local Philadelphian, against

Isaac II Angelos Isaac II Angelos or Angelus (; September 1156 – 28 January 1204) was Byzantine Emperor from 1185 to 1195, and co-Emperor with his son Alexios IV Angelos from 1203 to 1204. In a 1185 revolt against the Emperor Andronikos Komnenos, Isaac ...

. At that time, the bishopric of Philadelphia was promoted to

metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...

. In the 14th century, Philadelphia was made the metropolis of Lydia by the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople, a status that it still holds. It was granted this honour because the city did not capitulate to the Ottomans. The city was prosperous especially in the 13th and 14th centuries: there was a Genoese trading colony, and the city was an important producer of leather goods and red-dyed silk (whence, perhaps, its Turkish name, which probably means "red city"). By the 14th century, the city was surrounded by Ottoman emirates but maintained nominal allegiance to the Byzantine emperor. The city remained prosperous through trade and its strategic location. Philadelphia was an independent neutral city under the influence of the Latin Knights of Rhodes, when it was taken in 1390 by

Bayezid I Bayezid I (; ), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt (; ; – 8 March 1403), was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1389 to 1402. He adopted the title of ''Sultan-i Rûm'', ''Rûm'' being the Arabic name for the Eastern Roman Empire. In 139 ...

. Prior to Bayezid I's conquest, it was the last Byzantine Greek stronghold in Asia Minor. Twelve years later, it was captured by

Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...

, who built a wall with the corpses of his prisoners. Later, it passed into the rule of Junayd until it was ultimately captured by

Murad II Murad II (, ; June 1404 – 3 February 1451) was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1421 to 1444 and from 1446 to 1451. Early life Murad was born in June 1404 to Mehmed I, while the identity of his mother is disputed according to v ...

Modern period

From 1867 until 1922, Alaşehir was part of the Aidin Vilayet of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. In 1890, its population consisted of 17,000 Muslims and 4,000 Greeks according to Vital Cuinet. Through the end of the Greco-Turkish War, Alaşehir was severely affected by a fire that broke out. Patrick Kinross wrote, "Alaşehir was no more than a dark scorched cavity, defacing the hillside. Village after village had been reduced to an ash-heap." It is estimated that some 3,000 people died, and 4,300 out of 4,500 buildings were destroyed in the burning of Alaşehir.Mango, ''Atatürk'', p. 343. A suburb of

, Nea Filadelfia ("New Philadelphia"), is named from the Greek refugees from Alaşehir (in Greek known as "Philadelphia") who settled there following the war and the population exchange between Greece and Turkey of 1923. The city was the site of the Alaşehir Congress in 1919. In 1969, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the city and killed 53 people.

Archaeological remains

For survey of remains see Erdoğan (2015). * Ancient Theater () * Ancient Stadium () * Ancient Temple () * Necropolis and hypogea () * Byzantine city walls () * Basilica of St John ()

Composition

There are 87

neighbourhoods A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...

in Alaşehir District: * Akkeçili * Alhan * Aydoğdu * Azıtepe * Badınca * Bahadır * Bahçedere * Bahçeliköy * Baklacı * Barış * Belenyaka * Beşeylül * Caberburhan * Caberfakılı * Caberkonaklı * Çağlayan * Çakırcaali * Çamlıbel * Çarıkbozdağ * Çarıkkaralar * Çarıktekke * Çeşneli * Dağarlar * Dağhacıyusuf * Delemenler * Erenköy * Esentepe * Evrenli * Fatih * Girelli * Göbekli * Gülenyaka * Gülpınar * Gümüşçay * Gürsu * Hacıbey * Hacıhaliller * Horzumalayaka * Horzumembelli * Horzumkeserler * Horzumsazdere * Ilgın * Ilıca * Işıklar * İsmailbey * İsmetiye * İstasyon * Karacalar * Karadağ * Kasaplı * Kavaklıdere * Kemaliye * Kestanederesi * Killik * Kozluca * Kurtuluş * Kurudere * Matarlı * Menderes * Narlıdere * Örencik * Örnekköy * Osmaniye * Piyadeler * Şahyar * Sakarya * Sarıpınar * Sarısu * Selce * Serinköy * Serinyayla * Şeyhsinan * Sobran * Soğanlı * Soğuksu * Soğukyurt * Subaşı * Tepeköy * Toygarlı * Türkmen * Uluderbent * Üzümlü * Yeni * Yenice * Yeniköy * Yeşilyurt * Yuvacalı

Notable people from Alaşehir

* Joannes Laurentius Lydus (b. 490) ancient Greek administrator and writer * Theodore Mangaphas known also as ''Morotheodoros'' (born in 12th century),

Byzantine Greek Medieval Greek (also known as Middle Greek, Byzantine Greek, or Romaic; Greek: ) is the stage of the Greek language between the end of classical antiquity in the 5th–6th centuries and the end of the Middle Ages, conventionally dated to the F ...

military officer and

usurper A usurper is an illegitimate or controversial claimant to power, often but not always in a monarchy. In other words, one who takes the power of a country, city, or established region for oneself, without any formal or legal right to claim it a ...

* Kenan Evren, Turkish president and general

Notable bishops

* Cyriacus (at the Council of Philippopolis, 344) * Theodosius (deposed at the Council of Seleucia, 359) * Theophanes (at the First Council of Ephesus, 431) * John (at the

Third Council of Constantinople The Third Council of Constantinople, counted as the Sixth Ecumenical Council by the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches, and by certain other Western Churches, met in 680–681 and condemned monoenergism and monothelitism as heretical a ...

, 680) * Theoleptus of Philadelphia (1283–1322): led defense of the city against Turkish attack in 1310; writings include religious poetry, monastic treatises, anti-Arsenite writings, letters * Macarius Chrysocephalas (1336–1382): candidate for patriarchate in 1353, wrote Rhodonia (anthology of proverbs and gnomai), catenae ("chains", quotations from theologians attached to Bible verses) on Matthew and Luke, homilies, and a vita of St. Meletios of Galesios Anatolian Metropolises 1880

* Gabrius Severus (1577) wrote works against the Latins * Gerasimus Blachus (1679), author of numerous works * Meletius Typaldus (1685), deposed for becoming a Catholic Philadelphia remains the seat of the Metropolis of Philadelphia, which has been a

since the Greco-Turkish population exchange. Although the Philadelphia area was an Orthodox area, the

have maintained a rival

titular bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of Philadelphia since the 1500s.Philadelphia
at catholic-hierarchy.org. Catholic bishops have included: * Bernardo Jordán, (14 Apr 1535 Appointed1539) * Philippe Musnier (15 Jun 1545 –) * Marcus Lyresius (8 Jan 1603 Appointed28 Jun 1611) * Georg Christoph Rösch (16 Jul 1612 Appointed30 Nov 1634) * Michael Dalmeras (23 Oct 1623 Appointed13 Dec 1629) * William Giles (9 Sep 1904 Appointed28 Jul 1913) * Domenico Pasi (9 Sep 1913 Appointed15 Dec 1919) * Francis Vazhapilly (7 Apr 1921 Appointed21 Dec 1923) * Agnello Renzullo (11 Apr 1924 Appointed20 Oct 1925 ) * Luigi Mazzini (24 Jun 1926 Appointed13 Dec 1950 Died) * Pietro Zuccarino (5 Jan 1951 Appointed29 Nov 1953) * João de Deus Ramalho, (9 Dec 1953 Appointed25 Feb 1958 ) * Augustin Arce Mostajo (22 May 1958 Appointed26 Nov 1970)

Notes

References

* ''The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia And their place in the plan of the Apocalypse'', W. M. Ramsay, D.C.L, Litt.D., LL.D., Professor of Humanity in the University of Aberdeen, 1904

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alasehir 189 BC 180s BC establishments Populated places established in the 2nd century BC Attalid colonies Roman towns and cities in Turkey Philadelphia in Lydia Populated places in Manisa Province Districts of Manisa Province Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Turkey