Kula Volcanoes

Overview

The Kula volcanoes rise around the town of Kula in Manisa province, east of İzmir. About seventy cones stand here, with black basalt lava flows spread around them. It is one of the youngest volcanic fields in Türkiye. Today, the whole area lies inside the Kula-Salihli UNESCO Global Geopark.

Where the Kula volcanoes rise

The field starts at the town of Kula and runs west to beyond the Demirköprü Dam. It sits on a plateau 600 to 700 m (about 2,000 to 2,300 ft) high. To the north flows the Gediz River, while the Alaşehir and Salihli valley borders it to the south. Because the cones follow the line of that valley, they stand in a row from northwest to southeast. The biggest, Sandal and Kara Divlit, are easy to spot from the İzmir to Ankara road. The geopark itself covers the whole of the Kula and Salihli districts.

Quick facts

• Good for: young volcanoes, black lava fields, a short climb, an old stone town
• Best combined with: Sardis, Alaşehir

How the Kula Volcanoes Formed

The Burnt Land

Eruptions went on here into the early Quaternary, the most recent chapter of the earth's history. Small volcanoes burst open at different times, and lava spread across the land. So in ancient times, people called Kula and its countryside Katakekaumene, the "Burnt Land."

Three phases of eruptions

Today, geologists divide the eruptions into three phases, named Burgaz, Elekçitepe and Divlittepe. Lava rose through cracks in the ground rather than from one great mountain. The last phase built the Kaplan Divlit cones within the past 25,000 years. Sandal Divlit dates from about the same time, so it counts among the youngest volcanic cones in Türkiye.

What to See Around the Kula Volcanoes

The Divlit cones

Here, locals call the young cones "divlit." Each one formed when bits of lava flew into the air, cooled and piled up around the vent. That is why their slopes are steep and loose, made of dark scoria from fine ash to large volcanic bombs. The younger cones still look fresh and keep small craters at their tops, while older ones have wider craters. Some cones even have two craters side by side.

Lava flows and caves

Around the cones, black lava flows spread across the plateau. On their rough surface, the bumps and blocks range from a few centimeters to about 1 m (3 ft). The lava from Kaplan Divlit ran all the way to the Gediz valley and pushed the river aside. Inside these flows, lava caves formed where the outer crust cooled fast and the hot lava below kept moving. Later, parts of the roofs fell in, so some caves now open to the daylight.

The fairy chimneys of Kula

In the same area, volcanic formations spread over about 152 hectares (375 acres). In 2012, they became a nature monument, the Kula fairy chimneys. They lie inside the geopark, as one of its natural sights.

The old town of Kula

The town of Kula sits at the foot of the Kula Divlit cone. About 1,200 of its historic buildings are registered as part of its protected urban site. Its builders used the local basalt and schist for houses and streets, so the dark volcanic stone runs through the whole town.

Visiting the Kula Volcanoes

Getting to the Kula volcanoes

You reach the field from Kula, and the larger cones show from the main road. Besides the cones, the geopark marks its sights with directions, among them the Kula Divlit Volcanic Park and the basalt columns at Çakırca. The geopark also counts the Çakallar fossil human footprints and ancient Sardis among its sites. As the 58th member of the European Geoparks Network, Kula has its geopark status reviewed every four years. We plan your day in the Kula-Salihli Geopark, from the volcanic cones to the town of Kula.

Before you go

On our day from İzmir, you reach the cones in the late morning. If you wish, you climb one of them with your guide. After lunch in Kula, you drive to the fairy chimneys, and then you walk through the old town at the end of the day. For another day in the same valley, our Sardis and Philadelphia tour visits Sardis and Philadelphia (Alaşehir). For the city itself, see our İzmir guide.

Updated: October 26, 2026.

Seeing the Kula Volcanoes with Us

Would you like to walk among volcanoes that erupted within the last 25,000 years? Our Kula Geopark tour takes you among the cones in the morning. After lunch, you see the fairy chimneys and the stone houses of Kula. Cones in the morning, chimneys and stone houses after lunch: let us know when you are near Kula.