Also known as "power gum", mesir is a blend of 41 different spices and its annual festival has been celebrated in Manisa for nearly 500 years! As its name implies, it is intended as a general cure-all and tonic.
It was invented by Hafsa Haftun, the wife of an Ottoman sultan, as a medicine for the masses. Although its somewhat incongruous nature may have meant that it took a while to catch on, the locals are now so thankful for her invention that they fling it from the minaret of the Sultan Mosque once a year.
Exactly what these antics are supposed to cure remains something of a mystery, but the event itself also includes plenty of craft exhibitions, concerts and sporting tournaments.
Exactly what these antics are supposed to cure remains something of a mystery, but the event itself also includes plenty of craft exhibitions, concerts and sporting tournaments.
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