Denizli

This article is about the city. For other uses, see Denizli (disambiguation).
Denizli
City

Denizli Rooster (Denizli Horozu)
Denizli

Location of Denizli

Coordinates: 37°46′N 29°05′E / 37.767°N 29.083°E / 37.767; 29.083Coordinates: 37°46′N 29°05′E / 37.767°N 29.083°E / 37.767; 29.083
Country  Turkey
Region Aegean Region
Province Denizli
Government
 • Mayor Osman Zolan (AKP)
Area[1]
 • District 798.75 km2 (308.40 sq mi)
Elevation 324 m (1,063 ft)
Population (2012)[2]
 • Total 557,300
 • District 554,424
 • District density 690/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 20x xx
Area code(s) (0090) 258
Licence plate 20
Website [3]

Denizli is an industrial city in the southwestern part of Turkey and the eastern end of the alluvial valley formed by the river Büyük Menderes, where the plain reaches an elevation of about three hundred and fifty metres (1,148 ft). Denizli is located in the country's Aegean Region.

The city has a population of about 577,000 (2013 census). This is a jump from 389,000 in 2007, due to the merger of 13 municipalities and 10 villages when the area under Denizli Municipality jurisdiction increased almost fivefold and the population around 50 percent. Denizli (Municipality) is the capital city of Denizli Province.

Denizli has seen economic development in the last few decades, mostly due to textile production and exports.[4][5]

Denizli also attracts visitors to the nearby mineral-coated hillside hot spring of Pamukkale, and with red color thermal water spa hotels Karahayıt, just 5 kilometres (3 miles) north of Pamukkale. Recently, Denizli becomes a major domestic tourism destination due to the various types of thermal waters in Sarayköy, Central/Denizli (where Karahayıt and Pamukkale towns are located), Akköy (Gölemezli), Buldan (Yenicekent), Çardak districts.

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 depending of Honaz, about 10 mi (16 km) west of Denizli is, what was, in the 1st century AD, the city of Colossae.

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.

History

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. The inhabitants of Laodicea were resettled here in the Seljuk period.[6]

In the 17th century, the Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi visited Denizli and recorded the town as follows: "The city is called by Turks as (Denizli) (which means has abundant of water sources like sea 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 madrasahs, 7 children's schools, 6 baths and 17 dervish lodges. As everybody lives in vineyards the upper classes and ordinary people do not flee from each other."

The city lived in peace for centuries without being involved in wars in a direct manner. Following World War I during the Independence War, the Greek forces managed to come as close as Sarayköy, a small town 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Denizli, but did not venture into Denizli. The most widespread symbols of Denizli province are of textile industry.

Ancient Cities of Denizli

Climate

Denizli is located in Aegean region of Turkey, where the climate is not uniform. The inland areas, like Çardak, Bozkurt, Çivril, and Çal districts/counties of the province are cooler and have a higher elevation than the seaside, western part of the Province. Therefore, there are climatic differences within the province and even in the Denizli urbanized area. The land is open to winds coming from the Aegean Sea because the mountains are perpendicular to the sea. Winters are rainy or sometimes snowy, but generally mild.[7]

Climate data for Denizli
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 22.6
(72.7)		 25.9
(78.6)		 30.8
(87.4)		 35.8
(96.4)		 37.0
(98.6)		 42.4
(108.3)		 43.9
(111)		 44.4
(111.9)		 41.6
(106.9)		 34.4
(93.9)		 29.9
(85.8)		 26.6
(79.9)		 44.4
(111.9)
Average high °C (°F) 10.5
(50.9)		 12.1
(53.8)		 15.8
(60.4)		 20.7
(69.3)		 26.3
(79.3)		 31.2
(88.2)		 34.4
(93.9)		 34.4
(93.9)		 29.9
(85.8)		 23.7
(74.7)		 17.3
(63.1)		 12.2
(54)		 22.38
(72.27)
Average low °C (°F) 2.3
(36.1)		 2.8
(37)		 5.2
(41.4)		 9.0
(48.2)		 13.2
(55.8)		 17.3
(63.1)		 20.0
(68)		 19.7
(67.5)		 15.7
(60.3)		 11.3
(52.3)		 7.0
(44.6)		 4.0
(39.2)		 10.63
(51.13)
Record low °C (°F) −10.5
(13.1)		 −11.4
(11.5)		 −7.0
(19.4)		 −2.0
(28.4)		 2.7
(36.9)		 7.9
(46.2)		 12.6
(54.7)		 11.6
(52.9)		 6.6
(43.9)		 −0.8
(30.6)		 −4.5
(23.9)		 −10.4
(13.3)		 −11.4
(11.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 90.3
(3.555)		 74.5
(2.933)		 63.7
(2.508)		 54.2
(2.134)		 42.3
(1.665)		 25.4
(1)		 13.4
(0.528)		 8.1
(0.319)		 13.6
(0.535)		 35.0
(1.378)		 55.7
(2.193)		 89.9
(3.539)		 566.1
(22.287)
Average rainy days 11.6 10.8 11.1 10.2 8.6 4.8 2.0 1.7 3.0 5.8 7.6 12.2 89.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours 114.7 120.4 176.7 204 282.1 336 365.8 341 276 204.6 141 102.3 2,664.6
Source #1: Turkish State Meteorological Service[8]
Source #2: Weather2[9]

Denizli today

An old house/restaurant in Denizli

Aside from its visitor's attractions, the city of Denizli is known for its textile industry, outlet shopping for clothing, and for connected fields of activity such as the dye industry.

Economy

During World War I, Denizli mined chromium.[10]

The textile industry in Denizli grew rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s, both as a domestic market and for exports. Towels, bathrobes, and other home textiles are products associated with Denizli. The biggest firms in the city include Değirmenci and Funika (especially for bathrobes).

Denizli, Turkey

Lifestyle

Denizli is a town with tree-lined main avenues and views of the surrounding mountains from many locations. As the city grew in the 1990s, new compounds of villas have sprung up on the city's outskirts in areas like Çamlık.

In the city itself, air pollution from coal-fired central-heating become a problem in winter. However, with the expanding usage of natural gas, air pollution problem has declined in the elevated parts of the city.

Pamukkale University opened in the 1990s, and now has more than 28,000 students. Many young people still leave to go to university in İzmir, Ankara, or Istanbul.

Culture and entertainment

There are large shops, bars and cafes, and live music, although this is a city that grew recently and is located deep in the countryside. The presence of Pamukkale University improves the cultural amenities of the city.

The region's inhabitants have been influenced by the production of grapes and the wine throughout history. The new wealth in Denizli has been much more rapid than many other places in Turkey in investing in developing an urban culture. 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 theater festival, attended by groups from Turkey and overseas. Denizli has the second-largest number of ranking chess-players in Turkey, after Istanbul. Also, inspired by the unusually high reports of UFO sightings in the region over the years, one of the world's handful of museums dedicated to ufology was recently opened in Denizli.

Gazi Mustafa Kemal Elementary School

Transportation

Denizli Çardak Airport is about 45 minutes drive from the city center.

The extension of İzmir-Aydın highway to Denizli has been announced for several years. Initial infrastructure was laid in Aydın, but the rest is still forthcoming. The present Aydın-Denizli road, has a very high level of traffic, especially trucks, with each town along the road possessing its own industrial zone.

Places of interest

Notable people

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

Denizli is twinned with:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Area of regions (including lakes), km²". Regional Statistics Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. 2002. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
  2. ↑ "Turkey: Major cities and provinces". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
  3. ↑ "Denizli, Turkey - Denizli - Woonplaats, Maatschappij en overheid". Facebook. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  4. ↑ Bernard Fingleton, Ayda Eraydın, Raffaele Paci, Bilge Armatlı Köroğlu, Burak Beyhan p. 229 (2003). Regional Economic Growth, SMEs and the Wider Europe ISBN 0-7546-3613-5, Chapter 11: The changing role of SMEs in the regional growth process: The case of Denizli. Ashgate Publishing.
  5. ↑ Hüseyin Özgür, Pamukkale University. "Integration of a Local Economy to the Global and European Markets through Export–Led Growth and Specialized Textile Products Export: Home Textile Production in Denizli – Turkey" (PDF). University of Lodz. Retrieved 2007-04-18.
  6. ↑ John Freely, The western shores of Turkey: discovering the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, 2004. ISBN 1-85043-618-5. p. 182.
  7. ↑ The Tourism Directorate of Denizli Official Web Site "Climate of Denizli – Turkey" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2008-06-06.
  8. ↑ "Resmi İstatistikler (İllerimize Ait İstatistiki Veriler)- Meteoroloji Genel Müdürlüğü".
  9. ↑ "August Climate History for Denizli | Local | Turkey". Myweather2.com. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  10. ↑ Prothero, G.W. (1920). Anatolia. London: H.M. Stationery Office. p. 104.
  11. ↑ "Kardeş Şehirler". Bursa Büyükşehir Belediyesi Basın Koordinasyon Merkez. Tüm Hakları Saklıdır. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Denizli.
 
Largest cities or towns in Turkey
TÜİK's address-based calculation from December, 2013.[1]
Rank Name Province Pop. Rank Name Province Pop.

Istanbul

Ankara		 1 Istanbul Istanbul 13,820,334 11 Kayseri Kayseri 880,255
İzmir

Bursa
2 Ankara Ankara 4,474,305 12 Eskişehir Eskişehir 670,544
3 İzmir İzmir 2,828,927 13 Gebze Kocaeli 582,352
4 Bursa Bursa 1,769,752 14 Şanlıurfa Şanlıurfa 551,511
5 Adana Adana 1,645,965 15 Denizli Denizli 540,000
6 Gaziantep Gaziantep 1,465,019 16 Samsun Samsun 523,192
7 Konya Konya 1,138,609 17 Kahramanmaraş Kahramanmaraş 458,628
8 Antalya Antalya 1,027,551 18 Adapazarı Sakarya 449,290
9 Diyarbakır Diyarbakır 906,013 19 Malatya Malatya 425,000
10 Mersin Mersin 898,813 20 Erzurum Erzurum 381,104
  1. ↑ "December 2013 address-based calculation of the Turkish Statistical Institute as presented by citypopulation.de".
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