Dikili

Dikili
Town
The ancient site of Atarna (Atarneus) and a view of the plain near Dikili
Location of Dikili within Turkey.
Dikili Location of Dikili within Turkey.
Coordinates: 39°4′N 26°53′E / 39.067°N 26.883°E / 39.067; 26.883
Country	Turkey
Region	Aegean
Province	İzmir
Mayor	Mustafa Tosun
Area
• District	509.60 km2 (196.76 sq mi)
Population (2012)
• Urban	18,669
• District	35,230
• District density	69/km2 (180/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	35x xx
Area code(s)	0232
Licence plate	35
Website	http://www.dikili.bel.tr/

Dikili is a coastal town and a district of İzmir Province in the Aegean Region of Turkey. The district is quite picturesque both along its shoreline and in its interior parts, and is a popular summer resort. The center town of Dikili is situated at about 120 km (75 mi) north of İzmir, served by a good road. The notable township of Çandarlı (ancient Pitane) is located close to Dikili.

There is the ancient and as yet unexplored site of Atarneus is located nearby. The site is called "Atarna" locally.

Dikili is the birthplace of Greek American artist and left-wing activist Aristodimos Kaldis (1899 – 1979) and Stratis Pelekidis (1880/1882 - 1958), Greek archaeologist.

Dikili town center is situated opposite the Greek island of Lesbos. A small islet within Dikili district (called Garip Adası locally, with ancient sources also citing the name Argounissai) made international headlines in April 2007. The islet is offered for sale by its proprietors and The Guardian reported the Greek islanders of Lesbos raising money among themselves to buy the islet.

There is a crater lake in Merdivenli village, and ancient caverns in Demirtaş and Deliktaş villages, as well as pine forests extending towards the Madra Stream. There are thermal springs, which are in Nebiler, Bademli and Kocaoba villages. There are also beaches in Bademli and Denizköy. The Merkez Mosque is a rare example of a wooden construction dating from 1789. It was built without using any nails in the construction.