Little is known of the history of this town, situated on the east bank of the Harpasus, a tributary of the Mæander.

[4] According to Pliny, there was in the neighbourhood a rocking stone which could be set in motion by a finger-touch, whereas the force of the whole body could not move it.

The Ancient Armenian village that resided in present-day Turkey hosts the ruined castle of Arpaz, in the district of Nazilli, nearly preserves the old name as does the Turkish form Harpaskale.

It was important enough in the late Roman province of Caria (civil Diocese of Asia) to become a bishopric, a suffragan of the archbishopric of Stauropolis, in the sway of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Lequien's Oriens Christianus I, 907 mentions only four historically documented bishops : The diocese was nominally restored (twentieth century?)