Tavas is a municipality and

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

of Denizli Province,

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. Its area is 1,432 km², and its population is 41,712 (2022). It is on a wide plain on the road to Muğla, near to the district of

Kale Kale (), also called leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage (''Brassica oleracea'') cultivars primarily grown for their Leaf vegetable, edible leaves; it has also been used as an ornamental plant. Its multiple different cultivars vary quite ...

(and often the two are linked in one breath ''Kale-Tavas'').

History

The area has been occupied for a long time, proven by the presence of the mound of ''Medet Höyük'', which appears to date back to the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

(but which has not been thoroughly excavated or researched). Many civilizations have settled here including the

Hittites The Hittites () were an Anatolian peoples, Anatolian Proto-Indo-Europeans, Indo-European people who formed one of the first major civilizations of the Bronze Age in West Asia. Possibly originating from beyond the Black Sea, they settled in mo ...

, Phrygians,

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

ns,

Ancient Greeks Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically re ...

, Romans, and Byzantines. In antiquity this land south of the Menderes River was part of the region of

Caria Caria (; from Greek language, Greek: Καρία, ''Karia''; ) was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid-Ionia (Mycale) south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Carians were described by Herodotus as being Anatolian main ...

and was controlled from the nearby castle of Kale (known as Tabae in antiquity). In the 18th century emigrants from Circassia settled in Garipköy and Sarıabat villages. Tavas was reported as having a

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

industry in 1920.

Composition

There are 50 neighbourhoods in Tavas District: * Akıncılar * Akyar * Alpa * Altınova * Avdan * Aydoğdu * Baharlar * Bahçeköy * Balkıca * Çağırgan * Çalıköy *

Çiftlikköy Çiftlikköy is a town in Yalova Province in the Marmara region of Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Eur ...

* Damlacık * Denizoluğu * Dereağzı * Derinkuyu * Ebecik * Garipköy * Gökçeler * Gümüşdere * Güzelköy * Hırka * Horasanlı * Karahisar * Kayaca * Kayapınar * Keçeliler * Kızılca * Kızılcabölük * Kozlar * Medet * Nikfer * Orta * Ovacık * Pınarlar * Pınarlık * Samanlık * Sarıabat * Seki * Sofular * Solmaz * Tekkeköy * Ulukent * Vakıf * Yahşiler * Yaka * Yeni * Yeşilköy *

Yorga Yorga is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Tavas, Denizli Province in Turkey. Its population is 731 (2022). References Neighbourhoods in Tavas District {{Denizli-geo-stub ...

* Yukarıboğaz

Tavas today

Like in Denizli, there are textile and clothing industries in the area, and the town also produces leblebi (dried chick peas). This is a rural area and many of the young generation have migrated to the Aegean coast or to larger cities in search of careers (they have a reputation for canny business nous). The remaining people are mainly aging and conservative, there are a great number of mosques on the skyline. Tavas is a small town providing a bank and other essential facilities to the surrounding villages. There is little in the way of entertainment or social amenities (a few cafes and a couple of internet cafes), although the local pizza pide is much admired. People commonly deal with agriculture. Tobacco and chickpeas are most planted products. There is a well-known folk dance '' Tavas Zeybeği'', which is always performed at wedding parties in the town. Tavas is one of the leading places in grain cultivation in Turkey's agriculture.

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Denizli Province Districts of Denizli Province Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey