Ancient City of Laodikeia is located on 6 km north of Denizli city. The Hellenistic city had been founded by Seleucus King Antiochus II in the name of his wife Laodike in the middle of century 3 BC. The region then had become the part of Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. The city having one of the first 7 churches of Christianity had been a religious centre at metropolitan level during the pre-Byzantine period. The excavations in Laodikeia proved that there had been permanent settlements in pre Chalcolitic Period (from 5500 BC in Copper Age to 7th century).

Laodikeia has important archaeological remains. There are significant extant remains within the approximately 5-kilometres-square area: The largest stadium of Anatolia (at 285 x 70 m size), 2 theatres, 4 Turkish baths, 5 agoras, 5 fountains, 2 monumental gates, a council house (bouleuterion), the temples, peristyle houses, latrine, churches and monumental streets. There are necropolis areas on the four sides of the city.

Laodikeia is very important for Christian world, since it had been the Holy Pilgrimage Centre by the 4th century. The city’s holiness increases since it is mentioned in the Book of Revelation with apocalypse in the name of Laodikeia Church. The church had been constructed at the time of Constantine the Great after Christianity had been legalized with Milano Declaration in 306-337 AC. Consequently, the church becomes a pilgrimage church and one of the oldest and the most important sacred places of the Christian world.