Laodikeia's urban plan

The fertile Lykos Plain is surrounded by Çökelez Mountain to the north, Salbakos Mountains to the south, Kadmos Mountain to the southeast and Buldan Sazak Mountain to the west, and the Büyük Menderes River passes through the northwest. The Lykos and Menderes Rivers, which give the valley its name, add productivity to the plain and make the region an important geographical, economic and strategic focal point. Located in the middle of the Lycus Plain, the ancient city of Laodikeia was built on a high platform surrounded by rivers on three sides, with Lycos (Çürüksu) to the northeast, Kapros (Başlıçay) to the southeast and Asopos (Gümüşçay-Goncalı Stream) to the southwest. Due to the agricultural productivity of the Lycus Plain, thermal water resources, rich and high quality travertine quarries, and its strategic location at the intersection of important trade routes, the ancient city of Laodikeia had important settlement characteristics in Western Anatolia from the Prehistoric Period until the end of Late Antiquity. Since the Hellenistic Period, a grid plan consisting of rectangular insulae close to square was used in the city, and public, civil and religious buildings were placed on islands of 42 x 51 meters. When the urban plan and architectural structure applied in contemporary cities in the Lycus Valley are evaluated, many cities bear similarities with Laodikeia.