Nowadays known under the name of Goncalı,
Laodicea was founded under the Seleucid dynasty
in the 3C BC and later belonged to the kingdom
of Pergamum. It was a prosperous city located
on a trade route that, during the Roman period,
even called itself the “Metropolis of Asia”. In
the 4C, during the Christian period, an important
council was held here.
Laodicea was reputed for its sheeps whose wool
was black and soft, and was a renowned material
weaving center. Remains of a Hellenistic theatre,
a small Roman theatre, a stadium, a water tower,
a gymnasium and baths, a nympheaum can be seen.
Laodicea was among the Seven
Churches of Revelation.
AFYON
Afyon,
which name means “opium”, is located in
a region where poppy
is largely cultivated. The specialities
of the town are the “lokum”
(Turkish delight) and the “kaymak”
(thick clotted cream) eaten with most sweets.
In the surroundings there are many well
equipped thermal springs such as Gazi,
Gecek, Ömerli, Hudai.
At Sandıklı, there are mud baths. The Archaeoligical Museum, the War
of IndependenceMemorial
and the Byzantine citadel which originally
was a Hittite fortress are the curiosities
of the town.
Further north in the region, at Aslantaş
and Aslankaya, there are Phrygian
rock-cut monuments where lions have been
sculpted.
AIZANOI
Located in Cavdarhisar, Aizanoi
dates back to the 1C BC. The Roman
ruins are an evidence of a glorious
period during the 2C AD. The masterpiece
is the well preserved Temple of
Zeus, erected under Hadrian, with
artistic neo-classical shapes that
characterize the decoration: ovums,
composite capitals, acanthus of the
beautiful woman-busted acroterium.
The surprising vaulted basement of
the temple was used for the cult of
the Great Earth Mother Goddess Cybele.
Vestiges can be seen everywhere in
and around the picturesque village:
a stadium, a theatre,
the baths decorated with mosaics,
the Macellum (market with a
circular edifice where an edict by
Docletian fixing salaries and prices
is engraved), the colonnaded street,
the Roman
bridges which are still in use
today... The city was an episcopal
see during the Christian period.
KÜTAHYA
The
town of Kütahya is part of the Kütahya-Eskişehir-Afyon
triangle within which the Phrygians
once lived. Kütahya was also marked
by the presence of the Romans, who
named it Cotyaeum, and the Byzantines.
Between the mid 13th and the early
15th centuries, it was the capital
of the powerful Germiyanoğulları
Beylik (Selçuk emirate). In
1429, upon the death of Yakup II,
the Germiyanoğulları's last ruler
who had bequeathed his realm to
the Sultan Murat II, the city was
incorporated into the Ottoman
Empire and played an important
role during this era.
Kütahya has been renowned for the
art of ceramics
ever since the 15th century. It
was the rival of Iznik
for the production of glazed
tiles (Çini in Turkish) and
evensupplanted Iznik as
the center for the production of
ceramic vessels and glazed
tiles in the Ottoman Empire. Nowadays
many workshops perpetuate the tradition:
among other things, tiles produced
with designs from the 16th and 17th
century are famous for their cobalt
blue on a milky white background.
Kütahya was also famous for its
wood engraving, silver work (silver
is molten here), embroideries and
palace cuisine. Ottoman imperial
dresses used to be sewn in Kütahya
and sent to the palace.
kütahya
lies along the Porsuk River, at
the foot of a hill crowned by a
medieval fortress. The town has
18th century typical wood and stucco
houses such as the beautiful houses
on the Germyan Street.
The Great Ulu Cami mosque
(1410), next to the mosque the Vacidiye
Medresesi which houses the Archaeological
Museum and Tiles (Çini) Museum,
the hammams, the bazaar (bedesten)
and the Hungarian House (the Kossuth
Museum) are some of the important,
historical places of interest in
the town.
An old restored aircraft hangar
in the Kütahya Air Forces Draftee
Training Centre Headquarters has
been restored and turned into theBrigade Museum (Tugay Müzesi).
Here more than 200 works that were
stored in the Archaeological Museum,
are displayed, as well as china
works, paintings and works of the
local artists, and the invaluable
works of art donated by Rifat Çini,
the owner of "Azim Çini"
factory, the oldest ceramic factory
in Kütahya.
Kütahya is the only city in Turkey
with five thermal springs centers,
and it is also the richest place
in minerals with thirty two kinds
of minerals found.
The Kütahya Ceramic Festival is
held every year in July.
