Denizli

Denizli is a growing industrial city in the southwestern part of Turkey and the eastern end of the alluvial valley formed by the river Buyuk Menderes, where the plain reaches an elevation of about a hundred meters. Denizli is located in the country’s Aegean Region.

The population of Denizli is about 577,000 people (2013). It climbed from 389,000 in 2007, due to combining 13 municipalities and 10 villages. Denizli is the capital city of Denizli Province.

Denizli is showing a remarkable economic development in the last decades based notably on textile production and exports. Having become a vibrant center of manufacturing focused on exportation, Denizli is frequently cited as one of the foremost examples of Anatolian Tigers in reference to its fast rate of development. A big influence is being pursued by the Pamukkale University founded in 1992 in Denizli. This is a young institution which has been developing rapidly with 30,000 students and 1400 academicians.

The weather is hot in Denizli in summers, whereas in winters, it may occasionally be very cold with snow on the mountains that surround the city. Some years, snow can be observed in the urban areas. Springs and autumns are rainy, mild climate, warm.

Pamukkale thermal

Denizli also attracts many visitors to the nearby mineral-coated hillside hot springs of Pamukkale, and with red color thermal water spa hotels Karahayit, just 5 km north of Pamukkale. Recently, Denizli becomes a major domestic tourism destination due to the various types of thermal waters in Sarayköy, Central/Denizli (where Karahayit and Pamukkale towns are located), Akköy (Gölemezli), Buldan (Yenicekent), Güney and Çardak districts.

Ancient cities

The Denizli area has changed hands continuously in the past, becoming the center of various civilizations in Turkey in different time periods. Therefore the province of Denizli is home to 19 ancient cities and should be recognized as one of Turkey’s ancient pearls of tourism. There are remainings of the ancient ruined city of Hierapolis, as well as ruins of the city of Laodicea on the Lycus and the ancient metropolis of Phrygia. The city of Honaz was in the 1st century AD the ancient city of Colossae.

denizli turkey ancient cities
Ancient cities in Denizli, Turkey.