Historical Events and Fortifications in the Nazilli Region From Antiquity to the Present

The Maiandros (Büyük Menderes) River and its valley have historically served as a significant route due to their natural trajectory extending from the Aegean coast to the interior of Anatolia. The Nazilli Plain, a crucial intersection on this route, is a strategic region where the road traversing the northern narrow valleys towards the Lydia region intersects the road through the Harpasos (Akçay) Valley to the south, directing towards the Caria region. The focus of this study, the Nazilli Plain and its surroundings, is a region that has been continuously inhabited throughout history and has sustained a dense population. In Antiquity, the major settlements in the region were the cities of Harpasa and Orthosia to the south of the plain and Mastaura and Anineta to the north. Several villages and rural settlements are known to have existed at the foot of Karıncalı Mountain, Madran Mountain and the Aydın Mountains, which designated the territories of these cities. Cities were encircled by walls for protection, while fortresses and forts were constructed at strategic locations in the rural areas beyond the urban centres. The Kıztaşı Fortress, Beğerli Fortress, Kavaklı Kale Yıkığı Fort, Asma Asarlık Fort and Değirmenönü Fort constitute the extra-urban fortifications in the region.During the 12th and 13th centuries, the military threats presented by the Crusades and Turkish raids necessitated the reorganisation of the region’s defence systems. Throughout this process, new fortifications were constructed to ensure the security of the cities and maintain regional peace. Harpasa Byzantine Castle, Orthosia Byzantine Castle, Mastaura Byzantine Castle, Anineta Byzantine Castle, and Sailer Byzantine Building are architectural structures from the Byzantine period that significantly contributed to the region’s defensive organisation.Throughout the Ottoman period, the region remained a centre of intense military and political activities. As a manifestation of feudal ideology, the local lords of the Ayan system constructed special defence towers to protect themselves from rebellions and banditry. The Arpaz Tower and Donduran Tower, significant to the region’s military history, are characteristic fortifications of the feudal system that dominated the region in the 18th and 19th centuries.