Laodicea

Overview

Just outside Denizli, rows of white marble columns rise again along paved Roman streets, with mountains behind them and Pamukkale only 10 kilometers (6 miles) to the north. Laodicea was a rich city of Roman Asia Minor, and one of the Seven Churches of Asia named in the Book of Revelation. From Fethiye, join our Pamukkale tour from Fethiye. Our Laodicea tour pairs it with Hierapolis.

Laodicea lies on the road to Pamukkale, and our Antalya Pamukkale Ephesus tour in 3 days stops here. Since 2002 the excavations have brought back so much of the city that it now deserves half a day of its own.

Laodicea, the Rich City of the Lycus Valley

Laodicea on the Lycus, in Turkish Laodikeia, lies near the modern city of Denizli, on a long hill above the Lycus River, today’s Çürüksu. It stood on a major trade route in the Lykos valley, south of Hierapolis. Excavations and restoration work have run since 2002.

In 2013, the site joined Turkey’s tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status. Its ruins include a stadium, baths, temples, a gymnasium, two theaters and a council house. Our Laodicea tour from Pamukkale walks these ruins before Hierapolis.

History of Laodicea

A Seleucid foundation

The Seleucid king Antiochus II founded the city in the mid-3rd century BC and named it after his wife, Laodice. Its earlier names were Diospolis, “City of Zeus”, and Rhoas. Later, Antiochus the Great brought 2,000 Jewish families to Phrygia from Babylonia.

Roman wealth

Under Rome, the city became a great commercial city of Asia Minor, rich from banking and from trade in black wool. It also had a famous medical school. However, when an earthquake destroyed the city under Nero, its citizens refused imperial help and rebuilt it with their own money.

One of the Seven Churches

Because of its large Jewish community, it became an early center of Christianity. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians mentions the believers of Laodicea and asks for his letter to be read there. Later, the Book of Revelation also addresses one of its seven letters to the church of Laodicea.

What to See at Laodicea

The colonnaded streets

Restorers have raised many columns along the main streets, which are flanked by colonnades and pedestals. Walking them, you get a real sense of a busy Roman city.

The theaters and the stadium

The city also has two theaters. The West Theater, restored with almost complete rows of stone seats, was used until the 7th century. Near the southern end, a stadium lies in a narrow valley, and next to it stands a gymnasium with twin baths built for the visit of Emperor Hadrian in 135.

The Church of Laodicea

Finally, under a modern protective roof, the excavated Church of Laodicea shows its nave and floors. Nearby, you can also trace the aqueduct, which carried water across the valley in a pressurized stone pipeline, an unusual inverted siphon.

Denizli and Its Famous Roosters

Today the ruins lie on the edge of Denizli. In antiquity, its neighbors were Colossae to the east, and Hierapolis to the north, and Paul’s letters link the three Christian communities together.

How to Visit Laodicea

Getting There from Denizli

• From Denizli: drive or take a taxi about 6 km (3.7 miles) up the Denizli–Pamukkale road, then about 500 m (550 yards) west from Korucuk. Minibuses also run from the Denizli bus station.
• Combine it with Pamukkale and Hierapolis, about 10 km (6 miles) north.
• Further north: the Roman city of Aizanoi near Kütahya, once a bishopric under Laodicea, keeps a Temple of Zeus almost intact.
• Continue to Aphrodisias, the city of sculptors, to the west.

Local tips for Laodicea

• Bring a hat and water, because the site is large and open.
• Read Colossians and Revelation before you go, if the early church interests you.
• Follow all seven letters with our guide to the Seven Churches of Revelation.
• Add a neighbor: the marble street of Tripolis, on our Tripolis tour, and the weavers of Buldan, on the old road to Philadelphia.
• Go underground: east of Denizli, Kaklık Cave hides white travertine terraces inside a sinkhole, the little Pamukkale.
• Laodicea opens every day, with longer hours in summer, and we arrange your entry. We fit Laodicea into a Pamukkale day around its hours.