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Location in Turkey |
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Overview |
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275,480 (2004) |
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354 m |
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NA |
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20x xx |
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(0090) 258 |
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Nihat Zeybekci |
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Denizli is a small industrial city in the mountains of southwestern Turkey . It has a population of 275,480 ( 2004 census) and is the capital city of Denizli Province .
Denizli attracts many visitors to the mineral-coated hillside hot spring of Pamukkale (cotton castle) , and the ancient ruined city of Hierapolis , as well as ruins of the city of Laodicea on the Lycus , the ancient metropolis of Phrygia . Also in the district of Honaz about 10 miles west of Denizli is what was, in the 1st century A.D., the town of Colossae .
In summer the weather is very hot, the winters may occasionally be very cold with snow on the mountains that surround the city. This is an earthquake zone.
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Etymology
The name Denizli means seaside in Turkish, but the town is not on the coast; the name has mutated through “Tonguzlu”, ”Tonuzlu”, ”Tenguzlug”, ”Donuzlu” and finally “Denizli”. (An alternative theory holds that the name was Domuzlu (the place of pigs) due to the boar in the mountains around the city, and was changed as Muslims found the name offensive.
The area has been occupied since prehistoric times, there were important ancient Greek and Roman towns nearby, ( Hierapolis and Laodicea on the Lycus ), which persisted through the Byzantine period.
The city was founded in its current location after the area has been settled by the Turks . 300 years ago the Turkish traveler Evliya Celebi visited Denizli and recorded the town as follows: "The city is called (Denizli) (which means seaside in Turkish) as there are several rivers and lakes around it. In fact it is a four day trip from the sea. Its fortress is of square shape built on flat ground. It has no ditches. Its periphery is 470 steps long. It has four gates. These are: painters gate in North, saddle-makers gate in the East, new Mosque gate in the South, and vineyard gate in the West. There are some fifty armed watchmen in the fortress, and they attend the shop. The main city is outside the fortress with 44 districts and 3600 houses. There are 57 small and large mosques and district masjids, 7 madrassahs , 7 children's schools, 6 baths and 17 dervish lodges. As everybody sat in vineyards the upper classes and ordinary people do not flee from each other."
As well as the tourist attractions the city of Denizli is known for its textile industry (and outlet shopping for cut-price clothing) and its famous cockerels . The saying goes that Denizli is known for 'kız', 'toz' and 'horoz'; girls (the girls of the Aegean region are famously the fairest in Turkey ), dust (???? why ????) and cockerels . There are statues and other images of the birds all over the city.
The textile industry grew rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s making clothing and (especially) toweling for the domestic market and for export, and thus Denizli grew rapidly in these years, acquiring a handful of very rich businessmen, some reasonable restaurants, and the look and the amenities of a modern city. The biggest firms in the city include Değirmenci and Funika (especially for bathrobes).
The city is quite smart with trees along the main avenues and lovely views of the surrounding mountains from many locations. Now as Denizli has prospered in the 90s new compounds of luxury villas have sprung up on the city's outskirts in areas like Çamlık . In the city itself air pollution from coal-fired central-heating is a problem in winter. There are some highly-regarded high schools and Pamukkale University opened in the 90s, although it will take time for it to establish any academic credibility. Still the brightest young people leave to go to university in İzmir, Ankara or Istanbul , and stay there to build careers.
There are large shops, bars and cafes, even some live music, although this is a small city, deep in the countryside and the cinema, music, cafe life etc. cannot compare to İzmir or Istanbul . In time the presence of Pamukkale University will surely improve the cultural amenities of the city. It is currently difficult to get a license to sell alcohol in this conservative city, and therefore many private clubs and associations are opening up including: The society for the Protection of the Environment and History of Denizli ; The Poets and Poetry Lovers Association ; the Pizza Appreciation Group and the Jazz-rock Local . There is an annual amateur theatre festival, attended by groups from Turkey and overseas. Denizli has the second-largest number of ranking chess-players in Turkey , after Istanbul .
The wines of the Pamukkale winery are mostly made from traditional Turkish grapes such as tokat and narince , although now they are planting shiraz in the area too. They also make a well-known cherry wine. The Denizli kebab is roast lamb served on flat bread, the best known kebab restaurant is Enver . The best-known patisserrie is Karadeniz Pastanesi . Zafer Gazozu is a locally produced fizzy lemonade.
Denizli airport is a long, long way from the city.
- Laodicea ad Lycum - 6 km north of Denizli near the village of Eskihisar . The city was established by Seleucid King, Antiochus II in honor of his wife, Laodice. This trading city was famous for its woolen and cotton cloths. A letter written by a Laodecian says; “I am happy. I have fortune and I am not in need of anything.” Following a large earthquake which destroyed the city, what remains of the ancient city are one of the seven churches of Asia Minor , the stadium , the amphitheatre and the odeon , the cistern and the aqueduct . (see further Laodicean Church )
- Hierapolis and Pamukkale World Heritage Sites -20 km north of Denizli Pamukkale traventines . The city of Hierapolis was founded by the Pergamon King Eumenes II in 190 B.C. Its closeness to Laodicea led to commercial and military rivalry. The town was built in Greek style. Despite suffering a violent earthquake in 17 A .D., it reached its peak during the Roman and Byzantine periods. It was reconstructed during the 2nd and 3rd Centuries in stone from quarries in the area, in a Roman style. The town had its most glorious years during the reign of Roman Emperors Septimius Severus and Caracalla and became an episcopal seat during the expansion of Christianity. However, as a result of several earthquakes, the most violent of which was in 1354, a great part of the town was destroyed, and its people migrated.
- The Seljuk caravanserai Akhan, which is 6km from Denizli City on the Ankara highway, and a great part of which still remains, was constructed by Karasungur bin Abdullah in 1253 - 54 when he was acting as the commander of Ladik.
- Honaz mountain is a popular picnic excursion for Denizli's people in summer.
- The nearby village of Goncalı , which is on the railway line, is another excursion. People come to eat the charcoal-grilled thinly-cut kebab called çöp şiş , preferably with the local süzme yoghurt and a glass of rakı .
- The statue of Atatürk at Çınar Meydanı in the city centre is renowned for the large testicles on the horse that Atatürk is riding.
- Özay Gönlüm - folk singer (1940-2000)
- Sarp - rock singer
- Cem Bahtiyar - bassist in the Ankara-based rock group Manga . (Born in Denizli 1979)
- Istanbul Best FM radio DJ Rıza Esendemir
- Denizlispor - one of the more successful football teams in the Turkish league.
- Nezih Altin - a well known physicist. Currently residing in Adıyaman.
