Laodicea Ancient City

Ancient City

Right beside Pamukkale — a vast Roman metropolis with colonnaded streets, two theatres and one of the “Seven Churches” named in the Bible.

Spread across the Denizli plain only a few kilometres from Pamukkale, Laodicea was one of the richest trading metropolises of the Roman era. Thanks to its position at the crossroads of Anatolia’s east–west trade routes and its famous black woollen textiles, the city grew so wealthy that after the great earthquake of AD 60 it refused Rome’s aid and rebuilt itself with its own money — a pride specially noted in ancient sources. The city also had a renowned medical school and produced eye ointment.

Today the site reveals the magnificent “Syria Street” with its re-erected columns, two large theatres, a stadium, agora, baths and monumental fountains; the city’s water was brought by stone pipes from kilometres away, and these limescale-caked pipes can still be seen. Laodicea also holds a special place in Christian history: one of the “Seven Churches” named in the Book of Revelation was here, and the 4th-century church found on the site is displayed with its mosaics under a protective roof. It combines easily into the same day as Pamukkale–Hierapolis.