Nazilli
Encyclopedia
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
.
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.
In 1390 Bayezid I
brought the area into the Ottoman Empire
. At this time the town comprised two villages, Cuma Yeri (Friday Square) and Pazarköy (Weekday Market). The town was only later referred to as Nazliköy. In 1402 Tamerlane defeated Bayezid at the Battle of Ankara
and took control of the Aegean region, giving the Nazilli area back to the Aydinid family. it was quickly recovered for the Ottomans by Sultan Murat II.
During the Turkish War of Independence
Nazilli was occupied by Greek forces and was liberated on September 5, 1922.
region, and much of the district is in the Menderes valley, full of citrus
trees, olive
s and fig
s 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 109,800 (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.
Aydin Province
Aydın Province is a province of southwestern Turkey, located in the Aegean Region. The provincial capital is the city of Aydın which has a population of approx. 150,000 . Other towns in the province include the summer seaside resorts of Didim and Kuşadası.-History:Aydın was founded by the ancient...
in the Aegean
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
region of western Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, 47 km (29 mi) east of the city of Aydın
Aydin
Aydın is a city in and the seat of Aydın Province in Turkey's Aegean Region. The city is located at the heart of the lower valley of Büyük Menderes River at a commanding position for the region extending from the uplands of the valley down to the seacoast...
, on the road to Denizli
Denizli
Denizli is a growing industrial city in the Southwestern part of Turkey and the eastern end of the alluvial valley formed by the river Büyük Menderes, where the plain reaches an elevation of about a hundred meters. Denizli is located in southwestern Turkey, in the country's Aegean Region.The city...
.
Etymology
Nazilli is a TurkishTurkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
name that has somehow evolved from the former (also Turkish) name of Pazarköy (market place). According to legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
, the son of Aydın
Aydin Province
Aydın Province is a province of southwestern Turkey, located in the Aegean Region. The provincial capital is the city of Aydın which has a population of approx. 150,000 . Other towns in the province include the summer seaside resorts of Didim and Kuşadası.-History:Aydın was founded by the ancient...
's governor in the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
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
Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
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
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
that settled here.
History
These people practiced weaving and thus planted cotton in the area for this purpose. The Oghuz Turks were succeeded by the Anatolian beyliks of Menteşe (in 1280) and then Aydinids.In 1390 Bayezid I
Bayezid I
Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1389 to 1402. He was the son of Murad I and Valide Sultan Gülçiçek Hatun.-Biography:Bayezid was born in Edirne and spent his youth in Bursa, where he received a high-level education...
brought the area into the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. At this time the town comprised two villages, Cuma Yeri (Friday Square) and Pazarköy (Weekday Market). The town was only later referred to as Nazliköy. In 1402 Tamerlane defeated Bayezid at the Battle of Ankara
Battle of Ankara
The Battle of Ankara or Battle of Angora, fought on July 20, 1402, took place at the field of Çubuk between the forces of the Ottoman sultan Bayezid I and the Turko-Mongol forces of Timur, ruler of the Timurid Empire. The battle was a major victory for Timur, and it led to a period of crisis for...
and took control of the Aegean region, giving the Nazilli area back to the Aydinid family. it was quickly recovered for the Ottomans by Sultan Murat II.
During the Turkish War of Independence
Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence was a war of independence waged by Turkish nationalists against the Allies, after the country was partitioned by the Allies following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I...
Nazilli was occupied by Greek forces and was liberated on September 5, 1922.
Geography
Nazilli stands on the Menderes River, the biggest river in the AegeanAegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
region, and much of the district is in the Menderes valley, full of citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
trees, olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
s and fig
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
s 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 109,800 (according to the 2007 census). The town has a number of hospitals, high schools (including a private school following an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
), a police college and some faculty buildings of Adnan Menderes University
Adnan Menderes University
Adnan Menderes University was founded in Aydın, Turkey in 1992. The name of the university comes from the former Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes.-External links:*...
, including a school of business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. The old city center is tidy and attractive with streets decorated with bergamot
Bergamot orange
Citrus bergamia, the Bergamot orange, is a fragrant fruit the size of an orange, with a yellow colour similar to a lemon. Genetic research into the ancestral origins of extant citrus cultivars recently matched the bergamot as a likely hybrid of Citrus limetta and Citrus aurantium...
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
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
can be rented for $300 USD a month.