Heart of Turkey’s textile industry Population: 525,000
Old names: Diopolis (Greek), Ladik (Turkish)
Why would you opt for to stay for the night in built-up Denizli rather than in rural Pamukkale or thermal Karahayıt? One reason might be that you plan to make an early getaway the next day and that there are hotels right beside the bus station, another that you want a chance to look round an Anatolian town that lives for textile manufacture, quarrying and wine-making rather than tourism.
A big plus for travellers is that Denizli train station is right in the middle of town with good onward connections to Selçuk and İzmir.
No one could describe Denizli as beautiful although an Ottoman house once visited by Atatürk has been turned into a small museum (closed Mondays). It contains a so-so collection of ethnographic bits and pieces as well as a bed in which the country’s first president passed the night in 1931.
Rare early 20th-century survivor in Denizli
Don’t expect much in the way of fine dining although the choice may be better than in Pamukkale. Look for the statue of a rooster – the Denizli rooster is famed for its loud and distinctive crow – that stands just in front of the Çınar Meydanı and then cut into the side streets beside it to find pleasant cafes with outdoor seating frequented by students at the nearby language schools.
A major landmark is the so-called Üçgen (Triangle), actually a busy roundabout near the bus station. It’s decorated with an array of Turkish flags and an undersized statue of Atatürk.
No matter what your budget, you should be able to find something to suit you here although midweek the best places fill up quickly with business travellers.
Transport info
Flights from İstanbul and Ankara serve Denizli’s Çardak airport.
Three trains a day from İzmir pass through Selçuk to get to Denizli.
Denizli otogar is exactly what most travellers want: local buses leave from the lower level, intercity buses from the upper ones while trains leave from just across the road. There are daily buses from Denizli to Aydın and Isparta (for the Turkish Lake District); those for Cappadocia travel overnight.
In high season some bus companies will drop passengers off in Pamukkale. Otherwise there are frequent dolmuşes from the lower level of Denizli bus station.
Day trip destinations
Çal
Honaz Dağı Milli Parkı (Mt Honaz National Park)
Kale (Hırka Köyü Cami)
Denizli horoz (rooster) immortalised near Çınar Meydanı
And the real thing in full throat at Kızılcabölük
