Denizli Hierapolis

Denizli Hierapolis Archeological Site

GENERAL INFORMATION 

Located 18 km north of Denizli Province, the Ancient City of Hierapolis was founded by Eumenes II, one of the Kings of Pergamon, and it can be said that it was named Hierapolis because of Hiera, the wife of Telephus, the legendary founder of Bergama. In the 2nd century B.C, it can be said that it was named Hierapolis because of Hiera, the wife of Telephus, the legendary founder of Bergama. Due to the fact that the city is in an earthquake zone, it was constantly destroyed and rebuilt by earthquakes. However, the buildings standing today were built after the great earthquake in 60 A.D, and the city was built with a grid plan, taking the appearance of a typical Roman city that lost all its Hellenistic character after that. After the Roman Period, Hierapolis became a very important center in the Byzantine Period as well. The fact that it has been a center of Christianity since the 4th century B.C is due to the murder of St. Philip, one of the apostles of Jesus, 80 years after Christ. When the city was conquered by the Byzantines in the 4th century A.D, an octagonal church called Martyrium was built in the name of St. Philip. Therefore, the title of the city increases and gets the title of Metropolis. The city was destroyed by the great earthquake in the 7th century A.D and lost its identity as a city.  It became a small town in the 12th century, was dominated by the Seljuks in the 13th century B.C, and was completely abandoned after the earthquake in the 14th century.