History of Denizli

The history of Denizli is founded in the fertile lands of Anatolia and is as old and interesting as the history of Anatolia itself. The city has been continuously inhabited since the Chalcolithic Era.

The strategic location of Denizli on the main routes from the Aegean cost to Syria via Central Anatolian has made it attractive to several city states in the course of its history. It came under the rule of the Hittites with the establishment of the first Hittite city state in Anatolia (2000-1200 B.C.). Then it experienced the rule of Phrygians (750-700 B.C.), Lydians (700-546 B.C.), Persians (546-333 B.C.), Hellenics (333-30 B.C.), Romans (27 B.C.-395 A.D.), Byzantines (395-1200 A.D.), Seljuks (1200-1400 A.D.) and Ottomans.

According to ancient sources, when the Hittie Empire collapsed, The Phrygians lived the near the source of the Great Meander the Carians to the south, hte Lydians to the North.

In circa 600 B.C., the province was overtaken by nomadic fighters, the so-called Cimmerians and Sycthians, who defeated the Phrygians. At this point the Lydians seized their opportunity and took control of the region. In about 546 B.C., Kroisos, the Lydian King was defeated by the Persians and Persian rule started in the region. During this period tyrants, who were under the Persian satrapies, but independent in internal affairs, ruled the province. Hellenistic occupation began in 333 B.C. when Alexander the Great defeated the Persians and took over control of Anatolia. During this period many important cities (metropolis) were established. On the death of Alexander the Great, they quarrelled amongst themselves until the Treaty of Apemia. After the treaty, Denizli came under the aegis of the Seleucids and the Pergemum Kingdom. When Roman rule came to Anatolia in 133 B.C. Denizli automatically entered theirrule, and when the Roman Empire divided into two in 395 A.D., it was left under the control of the East Roman Empire. Several sources mention the presence of advanced cities during the Phrygian and Hellenistic Periods but, the surviving ruins unfortunately date only to the Roman and Byzantine periods.

The Turks first appear in the Denizli region after 1070. For a long while after this date, the region witnessed the struggles between the Turks and the Byzantines. Then at the beginning of the 13th century, the Turks took possession of most of Anatolia and formed the first Turkish settlers came to the region. The very first of their settlements was established in the vicinity of modern Kaleiçi where there was an abundant water supply.

Denizli has taken various names in the cource of its history. It is mentioned as Ladik in the Seljuk sources and in the judicial records of the contemporary court of Denizli.

In his travel book, İbni Batuda calls it Tonguzlu. It is also referred to as Tonguzlu and Tenguzlu by Şerafettin Yezdi, the author of an article on the victory of Timurleng. In old Turkish, Tengiz means Sea (Deniz in modern Turkish) and Tengüzlü means Denizli Katip Çelebi states that the settlement is called Denizli owing to its abundant water springs and sources (in his description he definesit as “Kesret Ul Ensar”). During the 13th century, with the arrival of the new Turkish clans, the region became even more densely occupied by the Turks. It was ruled by İlhans and the Germiyan Sons in 1257 respectively. When the Germiyan Sons captured Tripolis, the whole area was Turkized and in 1391, during the region of Yıldırım Beyazıt, it became a part of the Ottoman Empire.

source: pamukkale.gov.tr