Acıpayam is a town and a rural district of Denizli Province in high country between the Aegean and Mediterranean regions of Turkey. A plain, watered by two reservoirs, known for growing melons and watermelons, on the road between the city of

Denizli Denizli is an 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 . Denizli is located in the country's Aegean Region. ...

and Antalya. It covers an area of 1700 km², and the altitude is 895 m. The district has a population of 57,533 of which 13,700 live in the city of Acipayam.

Etymology

The name Acıpayam means ''bitter almond'' (''payam'' being a loanword from Persian) in the local dialect, the town was formerly named ''Garbipayam'' and ''Garbikaraağaç''.

History

The plain has been settled since 2000 BC, and Hittites were here in 1500 BC, followed by the Ancient Greeks and more civilizations up to the Byzantines and then the arrival of the Turkish peoples. From 1097 the area was in the hands of the Seljuk Turks. Turkish rule was interrupted by the Crusades but afterwards was settled by the

Oghuz Turks The Oghuz or Ghuzz Turks (Middle Turkic languages, Middle Turkic: ٱغُز, ''Oγuz'', ota, اوغوز, Oġuz) were a western Turkic people that spoke the Oghuz languages, Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages, Turkic language family. In th ...

and eventually was absorbed into the Ottoman Empire.

Climate

Acıpayam today

As well as agriculture some of Denizli's textile industry has spread to Acıpayam too, where there is a cellulose factory. In the past the people would migrate seasonally to pick tobacco or cotton in other parts of Turkey, today this is not necessary.

Places of interest

* Keloğlan Cave - a 145m long cave, open to visitors.

Towns

* Alaattin * Dedebağı * Yeşilyuva

Neighbourhoods

* Akalan * Akşar * Alcı * Aliveren * Apa * Bademli * Bedirbey * Benlik * Boğazdere * Corum * Darıveren * Dodurgalar * Eskiköy * Gölcük * Gümüş * Güney * Hacıkurtlar * Hisar * Karahüyük * Karahüyükafşarı * Karaismailler * Kelekçi * Kumavşarı * Kurtlar * Kuyucak * Kuzören * Köke * Kırca * Mevlütler * Olukbaşı * Ovayurt * Oğuzköy * Pınarbaşı * Pınaryazı * Sandalcık * Suçatı * Sırçalık * Ucarı * Yassıhüyük * Yazır * Yeniköy * Yeşildere * Yolçatı * Yumrutaş * Çakır * Çiftlikköy * Çubukçular * Ören

References

External links

A local news web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acipayam Populated places in Denizli Province Districts of Denizli Province