Usak  is situated at the inner side of Western Anatolia. Being closer to the central region, rather than the Aegean, a typical continental climate prevails in the area. The most distinct characteristic of the city is its location, constituting a pathway between four different regions of Turkey, namely the Marmara, Aegean, Central Anatolian and the Mediterranean regions.

As such a binding point, the province witnessed the earliest civilizations which have passed by, and left their signs in every corner of the land. From the Lydians to the Persians, from the Romans to the Ottomans, Usak had been ruled by many invaders, and the remains of those ancient times are found in various districts. There is an archaeological museum in the province, which holds the finds from the area, and is worth a visit for those who are interested. Especially the display of Karun Treasures who were stolen during illegal excavations in the 60’s and which were returned back in 1993 by Authorities in collaboration of Metropolitan Museum of Art, are the best examples of the museum.

Usak is an important and lively weaving center. High quality cotton cloth and bed sheets are widely produced in the various towns; and the carpets and kilims traditionally woven here are world famous, with their many colors and beautiful motifs. There are also picnicking areas and thermal centers in the region.

Lying on the south coast of the Bodrum peninsula, the Gulf of Gökova is a fascinating corner of Turkey, offering lovely views with charming combinations of colors. Pretty shorelines covered with woodland offer every tone of green, while the sea is a wide range of blues. The mountains shelter the setting sun under hues of red and yellow. If you would like to witness all these beauties, there are opportunities to take a yacht tour along these coastlines, and a boat trip on this gulf will make your holiday as beautiful as the place itself.

Köycegiz – Dalyan

Possessing the most special gifts of nature and history, Köycegiz stands beside the same named lake at the tip of which touches the Mediterranean. Now a nature and wild life preserve, this site is a real paradise with its rare and beautiful setting, and with a history going back to 3500 BC. It is possible to cruise over the natural labyrinth - like channel, walled with reeds, that link the sea and Lake of Köycegiz, which is described as “smooth as glass” till noon and suitable for wind-surfing in the afternoon; it contains almost every kind of seafood including carp and crab. Dalyan can be reached at the end of a road decorated with scented frankincense trees. The Dalyan Delta is a unique site, lying peacefully with its golden beach. Sea turtles of Caretta Caretta, and blue crabs live here making the area more attractive.

On the other side of the channel is the marvelous view of the ancient city Caunos, which was situated on the border between Caria and Lycia and was an important sea-port. The first sight here is the unique and fascinating tombs carved into the rock and overlooking the waterway. Also of interest in this district is the acropolis lying a little inland, together with a Roman temple, antique theatre, Ibrab and Susandaa castles.

The Dalyan region is not the last site in Köycegiz to offer natural beauty. The Gulf of Göcek, with its many bays facing numerous islets is another spot. Holding a lovely marina, it constitutes a perfect center for sailing, and there are also the ruins of the ancient city of Arymaxa, furnishing a different scenery.

Ekincik is another stopover for yachts, and the right place for those who wish to rest in the relaxing atmosphere of unspoiled bays.

Sarigerme, near the international airport of Dalaman, is still another point of attraction, and constitutes one of the nicest holiday villages of Köycegiz, with its fine beaches with neighboring pine forests.

Sultaniye Thermal Springs (on the south side of the lake) are one of the most important spa waters in Europe and the world, for its higher mineral content, and rich radioactivity.

Manisa is an attractive, modern city with a far-reaching past in the Aegean region of Anatolia. Its history goes back to 500 BC but the first known settlements date back to the 14th century BC.

Since the great Ottoman Sultans chose Manisa as the training ground for crown princes, there are many examples of Ottoman architecture, as well as Seljuk. The Sultan Mosque of the 16th century was built for Ayse Sultan, mother of Suleyman the Magnificent. In her honor, the Mesir Macunu Festival (Spiced Candy which is supposed to restore health, youth and potency, called as “Turkish Viagra” as well) is held every year in March, in the grounds of this mosque.

The Muradiye Mosque of the 16th century was built by the great architect Sinan, and the Murad Bey Medresse now houses the Archaeological Museum of Manisa.

Manisa celebrates the annual Vintage Festival every September, when bringing in the fruits of the vineyards is celebrated with excitement. The vineyards surround the city and provide dry fruit for export from Izmir port and grapes for wine making.

The Spil Mountain National Park is a cool spot with a richly forested area, hot springs and a profusion of flowers, especially wild tulips known as Anemon. There are about 120 kinds of endemic plants here. You may go mountaineering or camping in this area as well as seeing the famous “crying rock” of Niobe, and the carving of Goddess Cybele.

Sardis, in Salihli, is one of the most remarkable sightseeing areas of Turkey. It is the ancient capital of Lydia, once ruled by King Croesus, who was the first one to use silver and golden coinage in exchange for goods. Since Sardis encountered earthquakes, most of the remains date back only to Roman times. There are the remains of the temple of Artemis and a restored gymnasium, exhibiting of the past splendor of this ancient city. The splendid Synagogue from the 3rd century is worth visiting, with its elaborate mosaics and artfully carved colored-stone panels. Sardis was also one of the Seven Churches of the Revelation of St. John.

At Sindelli village there are the fossil foot prints of mankind, belonging to the period of 50-25th century BC.

The ruins of the ancient city of Philadelphia, another of the Seven Churches, lie in the Alasehir area. From the ancient city nothing much left, except some ruins of a Byzantine church.

Houses at Kula are beautiful examples of the Ottoman architecture. Yunt Dagi, Gordes, Kula and Demirci are famous for their precious carpets and kilims. In addition there are many thermal springs throughout the area.

Recent excavations done around the Temple of Zeus built on the high plateau of the city revealed several levels of settlements dating from as far back as 3000 B.C. In the Hellenistic era, this region was ruled by, alternately, Pergamon and Bithynia, and in 133 B.C. it entered the dominion of the Roman Empire. Aizanoi printed its first coins in the second and first centuries. During the days of the Roman Empire, the town became rich from its production of grains, wine and wool. By the end of the first century, the town had started to turn into a city. It was the center of the episcopacy in the early Byzantine period but it lost its influence in the 7th century. During the time of the Seljuk Principality, «avdar Tatars used this area as a military base in the 13th century. This is why this area was called «avdarhisar (ìhisarî means city walls in Turkish).

Aizanoi was rediscovered by European travelers in 1824 and studied in the 1830s and ë40s. In 1926, M. Schede and D. Krecker started excavations under the auspices of the German Archaeology Institute. In 1970, R. Naumann began these studies anew, and they have continued to the present day.

Most of the structural remains that have come down to our day from Aizanoi that are located on both sides of the KocaÁay River (Penkalas) were built during the Roman era. On both banks of the river, there were protective walls made out of large cut stones to protect the city against the rising waters of the KocaÁay, waters which still rise today. Two out of the four bridges on the river are still in use today. The low wooden bridge on the north was used as a pedestrian crossing.

The stone bridge with five arches that follows this wooden one is still in good shape. There is another one with three arches which has fallen into ruins. This one is followed by the cityís main bridge, which today supports all of the traffic with its five arches.

The inscriptions on the pedestal of the bridgeís railing tells us that the opening ceremony of the bridge took place in September 157 A.D. The inscription and two relief-decorated railings are today displayed in front of the fourth bridge. The relief shows the sea voyage of M. Apuleius Eurycles, who financed the bridgeís construction. Eurycles represented Aizanoi in Athens from 153 to 157 A.D. in the Hellenic Union called Panhellion which was established by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Eurycles returned to Aizanoi in the fall of 157 A.D. In 1990, the bridge was fortified with new railings.

The Temple of Zeus

The Temple of Zeus was the first of the magnificent structures built in Aizanoiís new city center on the west bank of the Penkalas river (todayís KocaÁay). Recent excavations have shown that layers of remains from the early years of the area were displaced to build the Temple of Zeus. Ceramic pieces dated to the Early Bronze Age were found at the level of the temple courtyard. The rubble from the removed layers was used to the fill temple area. The construction of the temple began in the second quarter of the second century. The money needed for the templeís construction was met by renting out large temple fields. However, the people who rented these fields resisted paying any money for many years. The construction started only when the rents were paid under the instruction of Emperor Hadrian. The correspondence between the city and the emperor on this subject was so important for Aizanoi that it rests in the northern side of the pronaos (front gallery) of the temple. On the outside of the same wall, there are long inscriptions. This inscription talks about M. Apuleius Eurycles, whom we know from the bridge inscription. The inscription praises Euryclesí virtues and his contributions to the city.

On the cut stones of the temple, there are war scenes, horsemen and horses. These drawings depict scenes from the lives of «avdars, who were looking for shelter in the city walls surrounding the temple in the 13th century. In the peristasis, there are eight Ionic columns on the short and 15 on the long sides. The distance between the interior structures of the temple (pronaos, cella and opisthodomos) is twice as large as the distance between the columns. Therefore this is a temple based on a pseudodipteros plan. The temple is built on a podium with the dimensions 53 meters by 35 meters and the base is covered with vaults, the combination of which makes for an unusual model in Roman architecture in Anatolia; no similar example has been found. It is believed that the underground chamber under this whole area covered with cella, opisthodomos and pronaos was the staging ground for ceremonies in the cult of the Anatolian goddess Cybele, who was worshipped under the name Meter Steunene in Aizanoai. On the northwest pediment of the temple, on the middle acroter, there is a portrait-sculpture of a woman. This demonstrates that the temple was also devoted to the Phrygian goddess Cybele. However, recent research shows that the temple cannot have been devoted to both Zeus and Cybele. This underground place is thought to be a prophecy center or the storage room of the temple. The acroter in the shape of a womanís head has now been placed near other discovered pieces.

Other ruins of Aizanoi

A heroon that was considered a small temple in that time and an agora surrounded by galleries were built in the middle of the second century A.D. The area is surrounded by a gallery of Doric columns which were built before the gallery that circles the temple. Most of these magnificent structures came to be under village houses and schools, and very few of them are visible any longer. Right next to the road that passes from the southeastern side of the templeís flat area, there is a heart-shaped column of the agora. The courtyard with Doric columns is covered with horizontal columns of Middle Age city walls, and architectural pieces of other ancient structures. The northern corner of this courtyard was excavated in 1997. The eastern corner of the courtyard with Doric columns and the rest of the places in the courtyard were excavated in 1981-82. You can see the remains of a flight of stairs on the southwest wall of the heroon that stands on the marble-covered podium. This structure is believed to be the tomb of a leading figure of the city.

Between the stadium and the temple, there used to be a Turkish-style bath with rich decorations and a courtyard with columns in the front that was built in the second half of the second century A.D. The southeastern half of this symmetrical structure was excavated in 1978-81. The rich marble covering of the Turkish bath, water and water heating channels can still be seen today. The main bathing rooms like the frigidarium and calidarium are in the middle of this building. There are many side rooms opening to this room. In the largest room, there is a marble sculpture of the goddess Hygeia in an apse. In front of the northeast part of the Turkish-style bath, there used to be a large square courtyard (palaestra) for sports activities. The large stone blocks found in the fields north of the palaestra show that there could have been a splendid tomb here, round inside but polygonal on the outside.

The combination of the stadium-theater in Aizanoi is unique. Excavation and research carried out from 1982 to1990 showed that the construction of the building started in 160 A.D. and continued until the middle of the third century A.D. During repairs to the eastern side of the entrance to the stadium, a number of inscriptions were found and placed in their original places. These inscriptions tell us that M. Apuleius, who was mentioned in the inscriptions of the main bridge, also made substantial contributions to the building of this complex.

Since the sitting rows of the stadium are polygonal, the structure gets wider in the center. At its widest point, there is a door on the western side. A marble-covered wall is the only faÁade of the stadium that looks onto theater. This is at the same time the back side of theater stage. The marble pieces can today be seen in the north of the stadium. The low pedestal of this faÁade wall is in a Doric plan. There are two floors and on top, there is the high Attika floor with an arch. The stage of theater was covered with rich decorations made out of marble. These decorations fell on top of the sitting rows during several earthquakes throughout the ages. Researchers who examined the marble decorations on the stage arrived at the conclusion that the building was originally built as only one story. A second floor was added in later years when expanding the stadium. A very small portion of the marble parts stayed in their original places, which was the front part of the structure made out of cut limestone. Among these fallen marble pieces, there are parts of a frieze depicting a hunting scene.

In the second half of the third century, in the northeastern side of the city, a second Turkish-style bath was built inside a building formed by large limestone. In one part of this bath, there is a mosaic floor bearing the pictures of a satyr and maenad. In the fourth and fifth century A.D., the main area of the Turkish-style bath was rearranged and it was used as the episcopacy center.

A little bit south of this place, there is a round building (Macellum) which was used as food market in the second part of the second century A.D. This area was excavated in 1971 and on its partly repaired walls was hung a copy of the price lists of the Emperor Diocletian which he prepared so as to bring down inflation. For example, a physically strong slave would be the same price as two donkeys (30,000 dinar), and one horse was worth three slaves.

The back side of the village house which limits the round door from northeast was excavated between 1992 and 1995. Here, archaeologists found an avenue dated back to 400 A.D. surrounded by galleries with columns. Almost all the column and joist parts were recovered, and this allowed archaeologists to make it stand again. The architectural parts which were not used were placed on the back walls of the galleries. This was also the entrance of the shops where goods were sold.

Equipment was taken from other buildings to build a roof to protect people against sun and rain. Not only architectural pieces, but also sculptures in desolated buildings were also taken and brought here. In front of the northeast gallery columns, on a pedestal, there is an honor inscription about Ms. Markia Tateis from a noble family and a marble sculpture of a flute-playing naked satyr with a panther skin tied around his body. This sculpture today is displayed at the Kutahya Museum.

The relation between the honor inscription and the satyr sculpture shows that the artists of the late ancient period were not so concerned about the content of the art but instead they wanted to decorate this avenue with different artistic elements. The most important building, which was removed to make room for the avenue with columns, was the Temple of Artemis. Splendid Ionic column capitals of the northeast gallery decorated with perpendicular leaves belong to this temple. There is a long inscription that mentions the goddess Artemis along with Asclepius on a piece belonging to the temple. The inscription says that the temple was built during the reign of the Emperor Claudius (41-54 A.D.) Two plates that were found on the ground of the northeast gallery were originally from the triangular pediment of the temple. One of these plates has a picture of a deer which is the symbol of Artemis. The front faÁade of the temple which has eight columns can be reconstructed using the parts of the Temple of Artemis that were employed in the building of the avenue with columns. This avenue, for whose construction a temple was demolished, existed until the sixth century when most likely it was destroyed by an earthquake.

The avenue with columns was the main axis of Aizanoiís city road system. This 450-meter-long road was discovered in a series of drillings in 1991. This avenue with columns was excavated in 1979, and remains of the door building which form the southwest end of the road are visible. This avenue was a part of the ceremonial road leading to the Meter Steunene sacred area outside the city after passing through the main bridge.

The large necropolises surrounding the city give us an idea about how big the city was. Various kinds of tombs existed in the necropolises including door-shaped tombstones which were typical for the Phrygia and Aizanoi region. These doors symbolize passage to the other world. Most of these tombs belong to the second century A.D., and they bear the name of the person who is buried or who donated it. They also have signs on them showing the tombís owner. On womenís tombs, there are pictures of baskets full of wool and a mirror, and menís tombs are decorated with eagles, lions and bulls.

In 1990 and 1991, archaeologists found two remarkable tomb remains on the sacred road that leads to Meter Steunene two kilometers southwest of Aizanoi. In the tomb that resembles a cross, there are niches to put sarcophagi. A sarcophagus depicting the war of the Hellenes (Greeks) and Amazons is today displayed at the Kutahya Museum.

The structure with four arches (tetrapylon) was turned into a small Byzantine chapel in the Middle Ages (11th and 12th centuries). Here is found the lower part of a marble sarcophagus bearing a picture of Eros. This piece is displayed in the garden of the Kutahya Museum. These sarcophagi and other tomb remains date back to 155 and 165 A.D.

The cult place of the goddess Meter Steunene, the oldest sacred side of the city, was a deep burrow in a cave which today has collapsed. Here, archaeologists found clay cult figurines in excavations in 1928, and these pieces date back to between the first century B.C. and second century A.D. On the upper part of the cave, there is a rock throne with steps. Such sacred sites are encountered in Phrygiaís rural areas, and this shows that the Meter Steunene sacred site was used long before the first century B.C.. There are two round pits (bothroi) to sacrifice animals, and these could belong to earlier ages of the sacred site. In these pits, people used to kill offerings for Anatoliaís goddess whom they believed to be living in rock formations and the ruler of the mountains and nature.

There are two well-preserved dam walls, built in two stages, which were constructed on the Penkalas River (Bedir Dere) to protect the city from floods. These two stages are separated with marble pieces which are mostly seats. On the rocks on the upper parts of the dam wall, there are marks showing that this place was used as a stone quarry in ancient times.

The old wood and stucco houses of Kutahya are picturesque. The Hungarian House (Kossouth Museum) and those on the Germian Street are the most interesting ones. Kutahya is also a thermal springs center with Harlek - ilica, Muratdagi - Gediz and Eynal - Simav, among the most famous. At Murat Mountain there are camping facilities including hot springs in the midst of a delightful scenery.

To the southwest of Kutahya an ancient city awaits you for an eccentric archaeological excursion, Cavdarhisar (Aizanoi) has one of the best preserved Roman temples in Anatolia; the Temple of Zeus. Dating back to the time of Hadrian, it was built for the worship of Zeus and also the Anatolian fertility goddess Kybele. Not to miss also a beautiful Roman stadium and a theater at a short walk from this temple. A Byzantine fortress, the Seljuk Hidirlik Mosque, Balikli Bath, the Ottoman Bedesten, Saadettin Mosque, Sengul Bath are just some of the important historical Islamic remains in Kutahya. And there is a beautiful museum full of findings from Aizanoi as well.

Many legends are known about the derivation of the name of Izmir. According to the knowledge acquired from scientific studies the word “IZMIR” came from Smyrna in the ancient Ionian dialect and it was written as Smyrna in the Attican (around Athens) dialect. The word Smyrna was not Greek, it came from Anatolian root like many other names in the Aegean Region from the texts belonging to 2000 B.C. in the Kültepe settlement in Kayseri, a place called Tismyrna was come across and the (Ti) at the beginning was omitted and the city was pronounced as Smyrna. So the city was called Smyrna the early years of 3000 B.C. or late 1800 B.C. In the Turkish era the city was called Izmir.

In the years of 3000 B.C. Western Anatolia was under a rich Trojan civilization influence. The settlement areas built on the Aegean coast also developed generally under the Trojan influence. The Hittites which Homer wrote about in the Iliad, were an active force and civilization in the Anatolian mountain pastures because the Trojans were allies of the Hittites and they had a big influence on the Aegean settlements. As a matter of fact Pitane (Çandarli) in the Bakirçay River basin and similar settlements were built by the Hittites. It is believed that the Amazons lived in the area between Caria and the Lydia which today is the sides of the Yamanlar Mountains, and they carried on their existence until the arrival of the Aiolos and the Ions.

The Aiolos and the Ions who Fled from the Doric invasion around 1000 B.C., came from Greece and settled in Izmir and its surroundings. The important Aeol and Ionian settlements are as follows: Bergama (Pergamon), Manisa (Magnesia), Izmir (Smyrna), Urla (Klazomenai, near Cesme), Kemalpasa (Nimphaion), Cesme-Ildiri (Erythrai), Sigacik (Teos), Phokaia, Selcuk (Ephesus).

Until the 7th century B.C. Izmir got richer because of its trade with its neighbors especially Lydia. Its good neighbor relationships with Lydia lasted until the Lydians were conquered by the Persians. The Persian sovereignty ended with Alexander the Great’s arrival to Anatolia in 334 B.C. In these years, in which the Hellenistic period began, a new settlement was formed around Kadifekale (Mount Pagos) and its city walls belong to the Hellenistic period and have undergone many restorations in the following periods.

The city, which was tied to the Pergamon Empire in 197 B.C., passed into the control of the Roman Empire after a short period between 27 B.C. and 324 A.D. Roman control transformed Izmir into an important trade and harbor city. For the west, Izmir was seen as the center of Asia. In this period the Agora, Acropolis, Theater, Stadium, and constructions that did not remain up to now, like the libraries and the fountains, were built during this period.

The two roads stretching from Kadifekale (Mt. Pagos) to Ephesus and Sardis were built during the Roman period. In 324 A.D. after the Roman Empire was divided into two, Izmir had been taken by the Byzantine Empire and Ephesus especially was an important cultural and religious center in the classic Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods. An important development was not seen during the Byzantine period.

Even though Izmir came into the possession of the Hun Emperor Attila, this authority did not last long and the city re-taken the Byzantines.

Kutalmisoglu Suleyman Shah in 1076 was the first conqueror of Izmir by the Seljuk Turks. In the period that the famous sea admiral Çaka Bey was appointed as the mayor of Izmir; Urla, Foça and the Islands of Sakiz (Chios), Samos and Istanköy (Cos) were conquered. After Çaka Bey’s death the city and its surroundings passed into the possession of the Byzantines in 1098. Then Izmir was taken by the knights at the time that Istanbul was invaded by the Crusaders. In 1320 the Turkish sailor Umur Bey returned Izmir from the Catholic knights and added it to the Turkish land.

In the period of the principalities, Izmir and its nearby surrounding were under the reign of the Saruhanogullari principality. Pergamon (Bergama) and its surroundings were tied to Karesiogullari principality. The reign of Izmir and its surroundings passed into the Ottoman hands completely in 1426.

The following Turkish architectural constructions are distinguished examples of the Turkish culture built during the Ottoman period, they have adorned Izmir for centuries: The Hisar Mosque, The Sadirvan Mosque, the Hatuniye Mosque, the Konak Yali Mosque, the Kemeralti Mosque, the Kestane Bazaar Mosque, the Izmir Clock Tower, the Kizlaragasi Han (Inn - commercial building), the Mirkelamoglu and Cakaloglu Inns and other inns (trade places for spending the night), Bedesten (Ottoman’s special trade constructions).

Beginning with the 16th century Izmir had an important place in the world trade. There was an increase in the consulates of foreign countries especially due to the capitulations that the Ottoman government provided for Europe. It is known that these consulates participated in the trade activities and each anchored their ships in the bay.

A castle was built on the narrowest point of the bay to check the ships entering and leaving the Izmir Gulf. New constructions were built in the second half of the century to help developing of the city’s trade. Among these constructions, the most important examples are the customs building in the 19th century, the sectors of packing, insurance, stock and banking.

In the years of the struggle of Liberation, Izmir underwent a great wreckage with huge destructions and fires. With the driving away of the Greek army by the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on September 9th 1922, Izmir started to become a modern city of the young Turkish Republic and developed this character more everyday.

“Denizli Rooster”, the symbol of Denizli is a domestic species which is well known all over Turkey with its color and body building, harmonious long and beautiful crowing. According to some rumors, Berat roosters having long crowing were brought to Istanbul during Ottoman Empire from Albania and then brought to Denizli and crossbred with domestic local chicken and thus Denizli Rooster species were originated. Probabily this is not true because there are no similarities between the two species when compared in terms of color and body structure. Denizli rooster was probabily originated upon great care shown by the local people to long crowing rooster for centuries.

Denizli rooster’s eyes are black and blackened with kohl. Its legs are dark grey or purple, its comb is in big axe comb, and atrium is red or white spots on red background; general color is black and dirty white together. Sometimes wing features have brown colors as well. Red roosters have black-white mixture. Their live weight is about 3-3.5 kgs (7 pounds). They are divided into 3 groups according to their colors, body building and comb types. According to their colors they are classified into 6 groups as: Demirkir (iron), Pamukkir (cotton), Kinali (henna), Al (red), Siyah (black) and Kurklu (with fur). According to their body shape they are divided into 3 types: Yuksek Boyun (high neck), Sulun (fasan) and Kupeli (with earings). According to their combs, they are divided into 2 types: Genis Ibik (big comb) and Dar Ibik (small comb).

The sound of Denizli roosters are classified according to the tone and clearness. According to sound tones they are divided into 3 groups: Ince (low), Davudi (bass), Kalin (high). Davudi voice is between high pitched and deep voice and is the only sound close to deep voice. According to clearness, they are divided into 4 groups: sad voice, shrill voice, wavy voice (funny voice).

Crowing of Denizli roosters is performed upon use of all abilities. Crowing is divided into 4 groups depending on body position during crowing, which are Lion crowing, Wolf crowing, Hero crowing, Pus crowing.

A good Denizli Rooster must have: alive appearance; long and strong legs and neck; wide and deep chest; sharp and sloped toward head tail. The same features are true for the chicken. The crowing period of Denizli Roosters in the first year must be 20 to 25 seconds.

Breeding roosters are selected under the control of Directorate of Province Agricultural Affairs and the rest are sold according to the demands made from various parts of the country between March - April, and sales of chicks are made between March - June.

The ancient city of Laodikeia is here, with its ruins awaiting for the sightseers in addition to Triopolis which was known as the center of bishops, while Christianity spread. Laodikeia was one of the Seven Churches mentioned in the book of Revelations. The city is still the subject of excavations.

Hierapolis is another ancient city, being a historical treasure, while it also offers a real wonder of nature. Named as “Pamukkale” (meaning Cotton Castle in Turkish) this place is astonishingly beautiful, and unique in the world with its white travertine offering marvelous scenery.

The wide forests and numerous picnicking and camping areas here contribute to this natural and archaeological richness, while its position as a stopover between the major provinces like Izmir, Ankara and Antalya, increases the tourist attraction of Denizli. The thermal resorts also attract visitors to the provinces with their spring waters of therapeutic effects; Gemezli, Cezmeli, Tekke and Kizildere are the main spa resorts, besides the thermal centers of Pamukkale and Karahayit.