Yoğurtçu castle is known to be one of the neokastra built by the Byzantines at the end of the twelfth and the beginning of the thirteenth century against the Turkish raids. It commands the Gediz plain and is built on a large limestone formation.
The rock it stands on is different from the volcanic ground around it: it rises as a cone with steep sides, hard to climb and unconnected on its east, west and north. The castle consists of an inner fortress and outer walls enclosing it on the east, west and south, and the outer wall is strengthened with towers set at intervals. In the area between the inner fortress and the walls are the remains of various buildings. The castle is near Uzunburun, twenty kilometres from Manisa, reached by road.
Getting there
- Access
- Near the Uzunburun neighbourhood, twenty kilometres from central Manisa, and reached by road.
When to go
- Climate
- Across Manisa as a whole, monthly mean temperatures run from 6.7 °C in January to 28.1 °C in July; the mean stays between 15 and 25 °C in April, May, September and October; rainfall is heaviest in December (137 mm) and lightest in August (9 mm). Long-term means for 1930-2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM).
