The Second of Denizli History Conferences titled "Denizli and its Surroundings in the Ancient Period"

Prof. Dr. Celal Şimşek, Head of the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Pamukkale University, gave information about the ancient cities found in Denizli, the history of Denizli and the artifacts found in Denizli in the conference titled "Denizli and its Surroundings in Antiquity" held at Nihat Zeybekci Congress and Culture Center.

Prof. Dr. Celal Şimşek answered questions from the audience at the end of the program. Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kutluhan also asked questions to Prof. Dr. Şimşek in the program. Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kutluhan, who asked a question about the periods of the ancient cities in Denizli, asked whether the ancient cities belonged to the same period and the same nation.

Prof. Dr. Şimşek: "The rich of Hierapolis live in Laodicea because Laodicea is a very large metropolis and Laodicea undertook the main trade."

Prof. Dr. Celal Şimşek answered the question of Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kutluhan as follows "Now, if we give an example especially from Hierapolis, it was only recently found in the eighth century BC. In Laodicea, we found it in the five thousand five hundred years before B.C. Of course, Laodicea is earlier, but they are experiencing the same thing, especially in the Hellenistic Period and the Roman Imperial Period and the Byzantine Period. But besides this, for example in Beycesultan, especially the early settlements end after a certain period in that ancient city. In ancient cities, the areas on the main roads become important in settlement. There are earlier settlements in a certain period, but we live in the same period in the time line. But of course, I would like to emphasize this, for example, we call it the Roman Period, but those ancient cities are made up of the people living in Anatolia at that time and the local people of Anatolia. For example, this is very important for Rome, in Tripolis or Laodikeia or Hierapolis, they make the governor of the city by electing whoever the citizens like the most. There are governors of conventuns. They act as judges. They are Roman citizens because they are a superior, but the man who governs the whole Anatolia, which we call prokolsül, stands in Ephesus. This also has to be a direct Roman citizen. The people living in the Roman period are the local people of Anatolia, but they live in the same period in a time line. For example, the rich of Hierapolis live in Laodicea because Laodicea is a very large metropolis and Laodicea undertook the main trade. For example, thermal waters are very important for dyeing wool in Hierapolis, but it is where the merchants who exported to the ancient world stopped. That big theater in Laodicea was built only by businessmen. For example, the biggest stadium in Anatolia was built by Laodicean businessmen."

Rector Kutluhan: "Do ancient tombs exist in all ancient cities? What is the importance of tombs in those times?"