The urban centre is situated on the slopes of the Bozdağ mountain chain along the southern alluvial plains of the Gediz River.

Its advantageous location, smooth and busy intercity connections and the fertile soil allowed Salihli to develop extremely well in the recent past.

To the 24 km (15 mi) north of the city is Demirköprü Dam, used for irrigation, prevention of overflows, energy production and fishing, and which was built between 1954 and 1960.

Fossilised footprints discovered near the villages of Sindel and Çarıklar, Manisa are estimated to be between 10,000 and 26,000 years old, and are the first traces of prehistory in the region.

In the 19th century, with the construction of İzmir-Uşak-Afyon railway, Salihli demonstrated a much more rapid pace of progress compared to Sart and gained township status in 1872, when it became a kaza of the Sanjak of Saruhan, centred around Manisa.

According to a number of sources, the retreating Greek army carried out a scorched-earth policy while fleeing from Anatolia during the final phase of the war.

[5] According to James Loder Park, the U.S. Vice-Consul in Constantinople at the time, who toured much of the devastated area immediately after the Greek evacuation, 65% of Salihli had been destroyed.

It is not always easy to make estimates on Salihli's population before the establishment of the Republic of Turkey due to the lack of adequate sources.

Moreover, some aşiret names refer to unsettled localities, such as Sığıralcısı, Bayındırlı, Karatekeli, Kuşdoğanlı, Kacar, Taras, Karakeçili.

Tourism: The remains of Sardis, which notably includes the Lydian King named Giges's tomb, the Artemis Temple and a Marble Court with Gymnasium built by the Romans, as well as other historical vestiges are widely visited by tourists, nationally and internationally.

Moreover, a recent geothermal energy production project intends to use these thermal sources and provide heating for the city of Salihli.

[citation needed] Sporting activities are quite prominent, and the city was represented for a long time in the Turkish Second League by Yeni Salihlispor.

In wedding ceremonies held in the villages, dishes like keşkek and topalak are often cooked, and some people make their own rakı with sweet sultana grapes.