page_title: Alaşehir
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Alaşehir / History
caption_attribution_description: Church of St. John In Alaşehir (ancient Philadelphia).
context_page_description: Alaşehir, in Antiquity and the Middle Ages known as Philadelphia, is a town and district of Manisa Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. It is situated in the valley of the Kuzuçay, at the foot of the Bozdağ Mountain. The town is connected to İzmir by a 105 km railway. The longtime mayor is Gökhan Karaçoban.
  It stands on elevated ground commanding the extensive and fertile plain of the Gediz River, presenting an imposing appearance when seen from a distance. It has about 45 mosques. 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 raisins, 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 and Byzantine periods. It remained a strong center of Orthodox Christianity until the early 20th century, and remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.
context_section_description: Ancient episcopal sees of the late Roman province of Lydia are listed in the Annuario Pontificio as titular sees:
caption: Church of St John, Philadelphia (Alaşehir)
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