Fire of Manisa

Fire of Manisa

Map of the town and its neighborhoods before the fire.
Date	5–8 September 1922
Location	Manisa, Turkey
Participants	Greek army According to Turkish sources, local Greek and Armenian irregulars played a significant role.
Outcome	Ninety percent (~10,000 buildings) destroyed, town later rebuild.
Deaths	Exact number unknown, according to US consul James Loder Park thousands of atrocities according to Turkish sources 4.355 died

The Fire of Manisa (Turkish: Manisa yangını) refers to the burning of the town of Manisa, Turkey which started on the night of Tuesday 5 September 1922 and continued until 8 September. It was started and organized by the retreating Greek troops during the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922), and as a result 90 percent of the buildings in the town were destroyed. The number of victims in the town and adjacent region was estimated to be several thousand by US Consul James Loder Park. Turkish sources claim that 4355 people died in the town of Manisa.

Manisa is a historic town in Western Anatolia beneath the north side of Mount Sipylus that became part of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. During Ottoman rule the town was governed by several princes (called Şehzade) and so is also known as a "town of the princes" (Şehzadeler şehri). Many examples of Ottoman architecture were built over the next few centuries, such as the Muradiye Mosque, designed by the famous architect Mimar Sinan in 1586, and built for Murad III who was a governor of the town.

By the 19th century Manisa was among the largest towns in the Aegean region of Anatolia and its population before the fire is estimated to have been between 35,000 and 50,000. Manisa had a religiously and ethnically diverse population made up of Muslims, Christians and Jews but Turkish Muslims were the largest group. During the 19th century there was an increase in other groups, most notably Greeks. In 1865 the population was estimated by the British at 40,000 with minorities of 5,000 Greeks, 2,000 Armenians and 2,000 Jews. In 1898 the population was estimated by the Ottoman linguist Sami Bey at 36,252 of which 21,000 were Muslims, 10,400 Greeks, and 2,000 Armenians.