Turkish traditional Manisa Mesir Macunu Festival held in Manisa

The ‘Mesir Macunu’ festival, a Turkish cultural event that has made the ranks of the UNESCO “Intangible Cultural Heritage” list, is taking place in the western city of Manisa.

The festival celebrates the recovery of Hafsa Sultan, the mother of Suleiman the Magnificent after she had fallen ill with an unknown disease. The physician, Merkez Efendi, prepared a paste mixture made of 41 different kinds of fresh spices and herbs in the form of a candy and presented it to Hafsa Sultan, who was subsequently cured of her illness.

The sultan then ordered the mesir paste be disseminated to the public. During the festival, Turkish women prepare the famous “mesir paste,” using the same recipe from nearly five centuries ago.