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Denizli province lies in the Aegean Region, between 28˚ 30’ and 29˚ 30’ East and 37˚ 12’and 38˚ 12’ North. It covers an area of 11,868 square kilometers. Approximetely 28-30% of the land consists of plains, 25% is high plateu and tableland, and 47% is mountainous. Mount Honaz is the highest mountain in the province, and indeed in Western Anatolia with an elevation of 2571 meters. Babadag (Father Mountain) in the Mentes mountain range has a height of 2308 meters. The biggest lake in Denizli is Acigol (Bitter Lake). Only a part of the lake is within the borders of Denizli. Industrial salts (sodium sulphate) are extracted from this lake which is competely sterile. There is a thermal spring at the west side of Sarayköy that is shares the same source as the Great Menderes River. This hot spring contains bicarbonates and sulphates. There is a hot spring in Kizildere which reaches 200˚C.
A geothermal steam source was first found in the region in 1965 during drilling work. Today there is a power plant producing electrical energy from geothermal steam energy as well as a dry ice (compressed Carbon dioxide) factory, greenhouses and hot springs. Only 11% of the geothermal energy source is used to produce electricity and 89% of it, which flows into the Great Menderes, is 150˚C at source (it is contains energy equal to 35,000 – 40,000 tonnes of fuel oil).
In general the mild climate of the Aegean region is dominant in Denizli province. However, the climate becomes harsher at altitude . Temperatures can rise to 40˚C during summer and fall to -10˚C in winter. There are about 80 days with precipitation, mainly during winter.
It is common to see the traces of prehistoric cultures troughout the province. Evidence of pre-Hittite cultures and the Hittites themselves are abound. Phrygians, Lydians and Persians have also left ruins, unearthed throughout the province by archaeologists. Traces of cities founded by the ancient Greek culture also abound, starting during the Kingdom of Alexander the Greatbust of Alexander the Great Alexander III (late July, 356 BC June 10, 323 BC), King of Macedon ( 336 BC-323 BC), known as Alexander the Great was one of the most successful military commanders of the ancient world. Following the unification of the multipl. The first real settlement was the city of LaodiceaLaodicea can mean: Laodicea ad Mare modern Latakia, Syria Laodicea ad Lycum modern Denizli, Turkey. which was established by King Antiochus II for his wife Laodice. Laodicea is located 6 km North of the city of Denizli, near Eskisehir. There is insufficient information about the city’s later development. The city of HierapolisHierapolis ( Arabic Manbij or Mumbij is an ancient Syrian town occupying one of the finest sites in Northern Syria, in a fertile district about 16 miles southwest of the confluence of the Sajur and Euphrates. There is abundant water supply from large spri was established around 190 BCCenturies: 3rd century BC 2nd century BC 1st century BC Decades: 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC 140s BC Years: 195 BC 194 BC 193 BC 192 BC 191 BC 190 BC 189 BC 188 BC 187 BC 186 BC 185 BC Events Battle of t by the PergamenePergamon or Pergamum (modern day Bergama in Turkey) was a Greek city, in northwestern Anatolia, 16 miles from the Aegean Sea, located on a promintory on the north side of the river Caicus (modern day Bakir), that became an important kingdom during the Hel Kingdom, one of the Hellenistic states of Anatolia. Calcified terraces and pools of Pamukkale (Cotton Castle) exist on the foundations of Hierapolis. Those two cities came under Roman rule with the expansion of the Roman Empire, and with the division of the Empire in 395 were left as the boundaries of the East Roman Empire.
The province has strong biblical connections: in the Book of Revelation, John the Evangelist hears a loud voice which sounded like a trumpet when he was on the island of Patmos. The voice says; “Write down what you see and send the book to the Churches in these seven cities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea”. The Church of Laodicea, a sacred place even in pre-Christian times, is an important place of pilgrimage for Christians today. It has lost its importance to a great extent during Byzantine rule. Turks were first seen in Denizli 1070. Afsin Bey who were under the control of the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan raided the area and took the first steps to establish Turkish rule in the region. The second and third Crusades attempted to cross through the region, and the Crusaders fought Kazikbeli, who was about to be held as hostage after a severe defeat, but managed to flee with a small force and continued to reach Antalya. After the Turks established their domination the settlement moved South of the ancient city in time, and developed at the site of the present city of Denizli, where drinking water was brought through stone pipes. After Turks established their sovereignity in Laodicea this name had slowly changed into “Ladik” when the city moved to its current location, the name gradually changed to “Tonguzlu”, ”Tonuzlu”, ”Tenguzlug”, ”Donuzlu” and finally “Denizli” (lit. ”with sea”, although the city is inland). These changes have happened since the 17th century.
Turkish traveller Evliya Celebi also visited Denizli and mentioned the town as follows in his “book of travels” 300 years ago: “The city is called such 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 a flat place. 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."
After World War I, when the Greek army arrived in Izmir on May 15, 1919, one of first centres of Turkish resistance developed in Denizli. Resistance againist the Greek invasion began with the first open air meeting held in Denizli. Turkish militia forces formed their lines on the Menderes front organized by Yoruk Ali and Demirci Efes, involving large numbers of volunteers from the local peasantry. Stiffened by the Turkish regular army, Greek forces were repelled, and Denizli remained in Turkish hands throughout the Greco-Turkish War.