Tripolis Ancient City

Tripolis was founded at 40 km north of Denizli city center along the slopes between Buyuk Menderes stream and Yenicekent town and it was a trading and agriculture center providing transport to Hickory within the Lydia region and to Phrygia regions. It was assumed that the city was founded by the Bergama Kingdom and the best examples of the monuments were built during the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. Since its name was mentioned in the list of Lydia bishops who attended to the Nikea (Izmit) Assembly on 325 A.D., we can assume that the city was at episcopate level.

Ruins of it still exist near Yenicekent (formerly Yeniji or Kash Yeniji), a township in the Buldan district of Denizli Province, Turkey. The ruins mostly date from the Roman and Byzantine periods and include a theater, baths, city walls, and a necropolis. An ancient church, dating back 1,500 years, has been found in 2013.

Buldan

Tripolis ancient city is now located in Buldan district in Denizli. The town of Buldan is located at a distance of 46 km (29 mi) from the province seat of Denizli and lies at an altitude of 690 meters. The population of Buldan is 15,086 (as of 2010). It extends along a pretty hilltop area, with hillsides covered with pomegranates, figs, vines and blackberries. There are lovely views from the high meadows. Kestane Deresi (Chestnut Stream) is a favourite popular excursion spot situated in the upper parts of the main town.

Buldan cloth, a fabric popular for making Ottoman sultans’ clothing, has become the trendy pick of presidents and prime ministers around the world. Buldan cloth can be found in the luxurious homes of US President George W. Bush, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Australian Prime Minister John Howard and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark. The cloth, which is named after the town, is all natural, even being made with natural dyes. Although many factories have been set up for Buldan fabric production, traditional handmade cloth weaving has survived to this day. Such woven cloths are exported to at least a dozen countries including Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Israel, Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan, the US and Europe.

The history of weaving in Buldan is almost as ancient as the history of the province. The practice is believed to stretch back to the weaving industry in Tripolis during the Roman period in 2 B.C. An archeological research group from the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA) conducted studies in Buldan and the surrounding area and uncovered primitive weaving looms. Their study revealed old travelers and historians frequently mentioned high-quality Boğası cloth weaving during visits to Denizli. While there are many sources discussing cloth weaving in the district, renowned traveler İbni Batuta (1333) also recorded important information about the town in his travel journal. “Its bazaars are very fine, and in them are manufactured cotton fabrics edged with gold embroidery, unequalled in their kind, and long-lived due to the excellence of their cotton and strength of their spun thread,” Batuta wrote. Evliya Çelebi also speaks highly of the cloth woven in Buldan in his journal, where he refers to a Boğası cloth. However research has turned up historical documents proving Boğası and Buldan are the same type of fabric.