The Ancient City of Laodicea, Turkey

The ancient city of Laodicea

Laodicea or Laodikeia is located within the borders of the villages of Eskihisar, Goncalı, Korucuk, and Bozburun, six km north of the modern city of Denizli. The site is on the road to Pamukkale (Hierapolis), which is approximately ten km to the north. Laodicea on the Lycus was an ancient city built on the river Lycus. It was located in the Hellenistic regions of Carla and Lydia, which later became the Roman Province of  Phrygia Pacatiana. It is now situated near the modern city of Denizli, Turkey. In 2013 the archaeological site was inscribed in the list of World Heritage Sites in Turkey.

It has one of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor mentioned in the Book of Revelation. 

At first, Laodicea was not a place of much importance, but it soon acquired a high degree of prosperity. In 220 BC, Achaeus was its king. In 188 BC, the city passed to the Kingdom of Pergamon, and after 133 BC it fell under Roman control. It suffered greatly during the Mithridatic Wars but quickly recovered under the dominion of Rome. Towards the end of the Roman Republic and under the first emperors, Laodicea, benefiting from its advantageous position on a trade route, became one of the most important and flourishing commercial cities of Asia Minor, in which large money transactions and an extensive trade in black wool were carried on.

The area often suffered from earthquakes, especially from the great shock that occurred in the reign of Nero (60 AD) in which the town was completely destroyed. But the inhabitants declined imperial assistance to rebuild the city and restored it from their own means. The wealth of its inhabitants created among them a taste for the arts of the Greeks, as is manifest from its ruins, and that it contributed to the advancement of science and literature is attested by the names of the sceptics Antiochus and Theiodas, the successors of Aenesidemus and by the existence of a great medical school. Its wealthy citizens embellished Laodicea with beautiful monuments. One of the chief of these citizens, Polemon, became King of Armenian Pontus (called after him “Polemoniacus”) and of the coast round Trebizond. The city minted its own coins, the inscriptions

of which show evidence of the worship of Zeus, Æsculapius, Apollo, and the emperors.

Christianity began to spread into the area beginning in the second half of the first century CE. The city’s active trade life, no doubt played a role in the spread of the Christian gospel to the Lycos valley. Laodikeia is one of the Seven Churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation (1.11, 3.14-22) as well as in Paul’s letter to the Colossians (4.16). The city gained prominence as a Christian center and as a place of religious pilgrimage in the Early Byzantine Period. The Council of Laodikeia met here in 364 CE. The legalization of Christianity allowed the construction of one of Anatolia’s most unique churches in the early fourth century CE. Extant churches among the ruins date from the 4th-7th centuries CE. The Laodikeia Church was discovered in 2010 and excavations and restorations of this large basilican structure have been almost completed in the past two years. Laodikeia thus remains a very important site for the Christian world.

Laodikeia has the biggest stadium in Anatolia and is the only ancient city with two theatres. The existence of large bath complexes, in which not only cleansing but also meetings and pedagogy occurred, underscores Laodikeia’s intellectual fabric. The fact that much medical equipment was found during excavations suggests that the city was a healing center too.  One of the most famous rhetoricians of antiquity, the sophist Polemon (88-144 CE), was a native of Laodikeia. The richness of the city and its relationship with Rome is reflected in its civic art. The marble relief sarcophagi with garland, frieze, and column as well as high-quality sculptures that have been found are evidence of this. Furthermore, the workmanship of the god/goddess sculptures is incomparable. Data revealed during excavations, such as inscriptions, monograms, and symbols belonging to Christians and Jews in addition to information supplied by ancient sources shows that local citizens, Macedonians, Seleucids, Pergamenes, Romans, and Jews lived together in harmony and peace. This shows that people from different cultures and religions have been living together in harmony for thousands of years.

Laodikeia is one of the largest and most important archaeological sites in Turkey today. The area of the city covers more than five square km. The life of the settlement continued without interruption from 5500 BCE to the 7th century CE. The settlement has been developed especially during the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial Periods when it became a center of trade, art, and culture. Besides its unique architectural legacy and system of infrastructure, Laodikeia remains very important for the Christian world. It was one of the three churches in the Lycos valley mentioned, along with Hierapolis and Colossae in Paul’s letter to the Colossians (4.16). In the book of Revelation John addressed a letter to Laodikeia, one of the Seven Churches of the province of Asia (1.11, 3.14-22). The city later became a center of religious pilgrimage. The sacredness of the city to Christianity is evidenced by the construction of the Laodikeia Church at the time of Constantine the Great (r. 306-337 CE) after Christianity became legalized in 313 CE. Therefore, the church is one of the oldest sacred places in the Christian world.

Excavations have revealed that a part of some large houses was used as a church, evidencing Christianity’s early tradition of house churches. Many churches were unearthed in the city as well. Moreover, the Laodikeia church was discovered in 2010 and fully excavated and restored in the two excavation seasons that followed. The Laodikeia Church has a distinctive place in Christian history. The church was built at the time of Constantine the Great and provides a unique example with its basilican plan, mosaics, opus sectile pavements, frescos, and dedicatory inscription. The Laodikeia Pilgrimage Church is located, according to the grid system, inthe northeast part of the city along the street leading from the Syria Street to the North Theatre. The church is located northeast of Temple A. The church, with its east-west orientation, covers one insula; two fountains related to the church are situated on the southwest and northeast streets. For the above reasons, Laodikeia is one of the most significant and sacred centers of Christianity in the world today.

Laodikeia Archaeological Site is under protection by the Turkish Legislation for Preservation of Cultural and Natural Property. Its excavations and restorations have been conducted since 2003. All the civic, religious, common, and individual structures seen at Xanthos, Letoon, and Troy, World Heritage sites in Turkey, are represented in Laodikeia. The structures of Laodikeia have a special importance because of their monumental scale and elegant ornamentation. In comparison with the nearby World Heritage Site of Hierapolis (Pamukkale), located ten kilometers north of Laodikeia, the theatres, baths, and streets of Laodikeia are much more monumental. No similar ancient city has four monumental baths. Laodikeia has the biggest stadium in Anatolia and is the only city with two theatres. Laodikeia has a special significance and sacredness for the Christian world because of its churches. One of these, the Laodikeia Church, is dated back to the fourth century CE. Laodikeia is as important as Ephesos with her expansion and monumental structures.

Laodikeia has more buildings and bigger buildings than Athens Acropolis, which is one of the most important places for World Cultural Heritage.

Laodikeia, Turkey (September 2019)