Historical Sites in Denizli

If you are interested in the history of the region then the museums here are worth a visit. The Hieropolis archaeology museum is housed in a Roman bath since 1984 and is one of the biggest buildings there. Here, besides the creations from Hieropolis, you can see traces of Laodikeia, Collossai, Tripolis and Lycos. An important part of the museum is its collection of Bronze Age artifacts from Beycesultan Tumulus.

At the center of the city is the Ataturk Ethnography Museum. On the upper floor are exhibited cultural artifacts like furniture jewellery, clothes, carpets and guns. Also exhibited is the room where Ataturk stayed during his visits to Denizli.

40 kilometers north of Denizli city lay Tripolis a rich trade and agriculture center during ancient times, with its own architectural and living style. You can visit this city while at Denizli. An idea of its importance can be had from the fact that the Nikea council in 325 B.C. mentions it in its list of bishops of Lydia. Here you can see Roman baths and theatres and Late Roman and Byzantine period castles and ramparts surrounding the city.

Another place to see is Colossae. Lying 25 kilometers south of Denizli, it was one of the biggest cities of Frigia. It also has a castle ruin of the Ottoman period and an Acropolis from ancient times.

Among the building of the Muslim period are the Acipayam Yazir Mosque built in 1801 and richly decorated with panels of pictures. The Bogazici Mosque at Bogazici, built by the Seljuks is a wooden structure with rich wooden patterns on it.