Nazilli
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Nazilli | |
 |
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| Country |  Turkey |
|---|---|
| Region | Aegean |
| Province | Aydın |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Esat Ergüler |
| Area | |
| - Total | 664 km² (256.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 262 m (860 ft) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 145,963 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| - Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 09 |
| Area code(s) | 256 |
| Licence plate | 09 |
| Website: http://www.nazilli.bel.tr | |
Nazilli is the second largest town in Aydın Province in the Aegean region of western Turkey, 47 km (29 mi) east of the city of Aydın, on the road to Denizli.
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[edit] Etymology
Nazilli is a Turkish name that has somehow evolved from the former (also Turkish) name of Pazarköy (market place). According to legend, the son of Aydın's governor in the Ottoman period, fell in love with a young woman from Pazarköy but was rejected by the girl's father. The young man later named the town Nazli Ili (Nazli's Home) after his loved one. The 17th century traveller Evliya Çelebi held that the town was named for the capriciousness ("naz") of the local women in this wealthy town. Or it could have been the name of a family of Oghuz Turks that settled here.
nazilli official portal ; [www.nazilli.web.tr]
[edit] History
Nazilli is one the oldest-established settlements in the Aegean region. The first settlement, near the neighbourhood of "Mastavra" was founded by the Lydians, who built other villages and market places near today's "Pınarbaşı" and "Çapahasan". In 546 BC the state of Lydia came to an end with defeat at the hands of the Persians. Then in 344 BC Alexander the Great and his Macedonians defeated Persia and following his death the area was ruled by his Seleucid successors and then became a wealthy town of the Roman Empire through the efforts of Roman settlers and their slave labour. Areas were cleared for the planting of grain as well as grapes, figs, olives and other crops established here in this period.
With the partition of the Roman Empire in 365 Nazilli was part of the eastern Byzantine Empire, although the Aegean coast suffered as Byzantium itself then became a magnet for all trade in Anatolia (Asia Minor). Nazilli was still a trading town and a centre of the church with its bishopric in the town of Harpasa (today's Arpaz).
In 1176 the Seljuk Turks defeated Byzantium at the Battle of Myriokephalon, took over the area and brought new life to Nazilli under Emir Yazir the leader of a tribe of the Oghuz Turks. These people practiced weaving and thus planted cotton in the area for this purpose. The Oghuz Turks were succeeded by the Anatolian Turkish Beyliks of Menteşe (in 1280) and then Aydınoğlu.
In 1390 Bayezid I brought the area into the Ottoman Empire. At this time the town was comprised of two villages, Cuma Yeri (Friday Square) and Pazarköy (Weekday Market). The town was only later referred to as Nazliköy. In 1402 Tamburlaine defeated Bayezid at the Battle of Ankara and took control of the Aegean region, giving the Nazilli area back to the Aydınoğlu family. it was quickly recovered for the Ottomans by Sultan Murat II.
By the 19th century Nazilli consisted of two settlements: the larger one being the seat of an Aga on the edge of the Maeander plain, while along today's main road on the slopes of the valley one and a half to two kilometers further north lay the smaller market town of Nazilli Pazari or Yukari Nazilli.
During the Turkish War of Independence Nazilli was occupied by Greek forces and was liberated on September 5th 1922.
[edit] Geography
Nazilli stands on the Menderes River, the biggest river in the Aegean region, and the much of the district is in the Menderes valley, full of citrus trees, olives and figs as well as cotton, wheat and other crops. This is attractive countryside of lazy charm with a hot climate, the scent of oranges and an impressive back-drop of mountains.
Nazilli today is a large and wealthy town with a population of 140,922 (according to the 2007 census). The town has a number of hospitals, high schools (including a private school following an English curriculum), a police college and some faculty buildings of Adnan Menderes University, including a school of business and economics. The old city center is tidy and attractive with streets decorated with bergamot trees and people buzzing around on mopeds. The price of a house in Nazilli ranges between 70 to 100,000 USD. A three bedroom apartment can be rented for $300 USD a month.
[edit] Economy
The city has a long-standing entrepreunial history since the large calico printing factory was opened here in 1937, the first industrial project of the Republic of Turkey, under the direction of the state industrial concern Sümerbank it was opened by Atatürk himself.
In its time it was a successful enterprise with state-of-the-art machinery, but was closed in 2000 as the site became the Nazilli campus of Adnan Menderes University. The employees were offered redundancy, retirement or transfer to jobs in factories in Bursa. Nazilli is on the Izmir-Afyon railway and the road from Aydın to Denizli and is still home to a number of midsize and large factories producing for export overseas. The economy of the district rivals the provincial capital of Aydın itself.
[edit] Culture
Nazilli has always been a very progressive cultured, liberal and pro-western in attitude, and is only an hour and a half away from the large city of Izmir. Traditionally Nazilli is a safe city where children can play on the streets without supervision and youth can hang out in the evening without worries. There are internet cafes and other amenities for young people, although for an older generation Nazilli always had a reputation as for a leisure amenity of a much more adult nature.
The local cuisine includes Halep işi, the small round soft Pide (pizza) dough prepared with special minced meat mixture served with lemon.
[edit] Well-known residents
- Footballers Rıdvan Dilmen and Serkan Balcı were born in Nazilli.
[edit] External links
- the municipality
- the district governorate
- local information (Turkish)
- photo gallery
- local business directory (Turkish)
- Nazilli is at coordinates Coordinates:
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