Discover Kale: Tavas Plain, peppers and Tabae

Kale combines the landscape of the Tavas Plain with regional specialities and archaeological remains in the surrounding area. The district centre of Kale and the village of Karaköy are located on the plain. Kale also lies on the road between Denizli and Muğla. For planning your trip, this provides a first geographical overview; the area’s varied features range from regional agriculture to buildings from different periods.

Plain, river and canyon

Those interested in the landscape will find another, very different place in the region alongside the plain: İnceğiz Canyon. It is located in İnceğiz, 45 kilometres from the district of Kale, on the Aksu River. The canyon was formed by the erosion caused by streams that feed the Kemer Dam. These places offer different perspectives on the area: the plain around Kale and, near İnceğiz, a canyon shaped by water erosion.

Kale Biberi peppers and regional specialities

Kale Biberi is a pepper variety with a geographical indication. It is grown mainly in the neighbourhoods of Alanyurt, Demirciler, Gökçeören, Habibler, Özlüce and Köprübaşı in the Akçay Basin within the associated municipality. The listed growing areas are therefore part of the municipality, not the town centre of Kale. The pepper has three lobes, thick flesh and a rounded shape; its average weight is between 125 and 150 grams. It is eaten fresh or dried throughout the year. In Kale town centre, you can sample and buy regional specialities. This gives you two different points of reference for planning: the distinctive local pepper variety and the broader selection of specialities in the town centre.

Tabae: ancient site and rock-cut spaces

Tabae Ancient City is an archaeological site in the district of Kale and is associated with cultural tourism. It lies about one kilometre outside the centre of Kale. The site includes the 19th-century Cevherpaşa Mosque, which dates to the Ottoman period. The Kale Pepper Festival is also among the cultural offerings in Kale.

Northeast of the acropolis of Tabae is the Kayaya Oyulmuş Nişli Bina. The rectangular building runs north to south. Four niches are carved into the inside of the eastern wall wing; there are none on the west side. Architectural fragments, an altar and a column are found in and around the building. The structure is dated to the Roman period and was also used during the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. The fact that the niches are on only one side, along with the different structural elements, makes the description of the building particularly specific.

The grounds of Tabae also contain the Kayalara Oyulmuş Tek Odalı Evler, carved into natural rock. The rooms are interpreted as possible former houses. Door recesses and sockets suggest wooden doors; there are niches inside the rooms. They are mostly located on steep, sloping parts of the rock plateau. Settlement in this part of the district of Kale continued until 1957. Together with the rectangular building, this part of Tabae showcases different forms of rock-cut architecture and their history of use.

What to consider when choosing your holiday rental

When choosing a holiday rental, it may help to first consider what you would like your stay to focus on. The town centre is a convenient reference point for regional specialities; Tabae lies outside the centre and offers an archaeological focus, with buildings and rock-cut spaces. In terms of landscape, the Tavas Plain and the more distant İnceğiz Canyon offer different impressions.

Discover more destinations: Karahayıt, Yakacık, Denizli, Karahisar Belediyesi, Bozkurt, Çameli, Avdan, Beyağaç.

Back to the main travel overview: Denizli.