Spil Mount

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Spil Mount (elevation 1513 m), the ancient Mount Sipylus (in Turkish Spil Dağı) is a mountain rich in legends and history situated near the city of Manisa in Turkey's Aegean Region of Turkey; it towers above the road between İzmir and Manisa. Mount Yamanlar overlooking the Gulf of İzmir, actually an extinct volcano with a crater lake on its top, is usually considered as an extension of Spil Mount mass.

History

In Greek mythology, Sipylus was a haunt of Cybele, the goddess known among the Greeks as Meter or Meter oreie ("Mountain-Mother"), or, with this sacred mountain in mind, Sipylene. Mount Sipylus was ruled by Tantalus, who cut up his son Pelops and offered him to the gods. His daughter was the tragic Niobe. Electrum, a natural compound of gold and silver, which was found in the region, made the cities of Lydia rich. Ingots and rings of fixed weights circulated here before the first coins were minted.

In historic times, Mount Sipylus rose above the site of Magnesia ad Sipylum (to the south of Manisa), on the Hermus River (Gediz River), which was the scene of the defeat of Antiochus III "the Great" by the Romans, at the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC. Smyrna lay nearby.

Spil today

Today Spil Dağı National Park attracts both tourists and locals. The famous "weeping rock" of Niobe (Ağlayan Kaya) still can be seen with the richly forested and beautiful scenery area surrounded with flowers, especially with wild tulips, locally called anemon. The mountain is also a good spot for camping, hiking and other mountain sports.

External links

• Spil Dağı National Park web site

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Last updated on Sunday March 02, 2008 at 06:25:25 PST (GMT -0800)
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