Spil Mountain

The name “Sipylos” was inspired from the ancient mythology. It has an east-west orientation as a separate mass at the northwest end of Bozdağ range on Gediz Basin. It is a limestone mass with a height of 1513 metres. Background to mythological stories, the mountain is an important cultural component. It is also a natural riches with its geological and geomorphological characteristics, limestone rocks, canyon valleys, doline lakes, lapias, caves and diverse vegetation and wildlife. It’s extremely rich flora includes red pine, larch and iron oak trees. Among the shrubs of the lower flora stand out junipers, rockrose, heather, laurel and myrtle. Spil Mountain has a unique value with more than 120 endemic plant species. Other than hiking and biking paths, paragliding centres and off-road tracks, the mountain hides Niobe natural rock formation, Manisa Castle (Manisa Kalesi) and Taş Suret (Cybele Relief) –located in a niche about 100-120 m up a granite cliff-face of Spil Mountain, overlooking the city of Manisa. The Manisa tulips (magnesian tulip or tulipa orphanidea) growing on Spil Mountain and blooming from April to May, are under preservation.