The ancient city of Hierapolis otherwise known as ‘sacred city’ was a spa city built by the Romans. It was built around the world-famous warm-water spring, known as Pamukkale (in Turkish, ‘cotton castle’).
The town is located 18 kilometers north of Denizli in the southwest of Turkey. The town of Pamukkale is now the town center for tourism around both the natural springs and the ancient ruins of Hierapolis.
Pamukkale is often considered the eighth wonder of the world and has also been a world heritage site since 1988.
BUT THEN WHAT EXACTLY IS PAMUKKALE?
Well, it is a natural spa, located in the River Menderes valley; the carbonate minerals left by the flowing water makes an unbelievably relaxing natural bath. Many weary travelers have passed through Hierapolis over many thousands of years to experience the wonders of this natural beauty and profit from the health benefits.
When you first see this geological phenomenon, you will just stand back and stare. How can this be natural? Man must have had a hand in making it. Well, the answer is no!
So how did this great wonder come about? There are lots of hot springs in this area, around 17 to be precise. When the water from the hot springs comes to the surface, it moves to the travertine. Wait, travertine?
Travertines are a kind of limestone, which are formed with the minerals from the hot spring water. The calcium from the hot spring cools when it reaches the surface, and when mixed with the soil, it creates travertines. Travertine is a strong material, and did you know that it was used to build? The Romans used travertine to build St Peter’s Basilica and square in Vatican City!
Many modern hotels were built in the area in the 1960s. These hotels were draining the water from the hot springs into their swimming pools and were causing damage to the area. The hotels were then knocked down. In 1988 UNESCO placed Pamukkale on the world heritage site list.
Locals have taken great pride in this area and have stopped people from walking on the travertines in shoes. So, be prepared to be barefoot! You have to keep to the designated path so that the travertines are not damaged. There are still many archaeological digs taking place in this area, and many more buildings and sites are being discovered.
BATHE IN THE WATERS OF PAMUKKALE
You can’t miss the chance to bathe in these health-boosting waters!
Hot springs have become much more popular over the years, not only because of the health benefits but also because they are a great place to relax, destress, and take in the beautiful scenery. Just be aware that at Pamukkale you will never be alone, there will always be others enjoying the experience as well – this is one of the most popular travel destinations in Turkey, after all.
PROTIP : Visit this place as easily as you can. Or during sunset to get these travertines to yourself. Most of the tourists have just 1 day in pamukkale so they reach post lunch and thats when it is the most crowded.
WALK UP PAMUKKALE PLATEAU
Pamukkale Plateau is where the travertines have formed.
To get to the plateau, you can enter through the town entrance and walk up to the plateau
The other two entrances have a car parking area with a fee. The north entrance is the best entrance to get to the plateau and the other attractions. You can park your car then either take a shuttle bus or walk the 20 or 30 minutes to the attractions. The south entrance is not the best. You can park your car in the large car park but then you have to walk for 30 minutes under the hot sun.
SOAK UP LIKE A ROYALTY : CLEOPATRA'S ANTIQUE POOL
The place where everyone wants to go is the Antique Pool, also known as Cleopatra’s Pool. This is the prime bathing spot and one of the best things to do in Pamukkale! This pool is situated between the ruins, which were the columns of the Temple of Apollo. The last entrance is at 6:15 pm, so don’t be late!
This is the cleanest pool you have ever been in, as it is constantly refreshed with water from the hot spring. Surrounded by pines trees and ancient columns, you could almost think you have traveled back to the Roman times.
There are shallow ends for kids and deeper parts for adults, but nowhere ist so deep that you can’t stand up in the water.
MARVEL AT THE ANCIENT THEATRE OF HIEROPOLIS
You need to walk up a small hill to get to the entrance, but it is worth it. The entrance leads you to the highest part of the theater where you can look down onto the stage, which is still intact but with a little damage — but what do you expect after all these years!
The theater was built by the Romans, Hadrian (who also built a very famous wall in England) and Septimus Severus (Harry Potter fans, anyone?). This theatre could hold 15,000 people at one time; it has been well restored and is well worth a visit.
VIST THE AREA SURROUNDING THE THEATRE
Unfortunately, not all of this area has survived the test of time. The Cathedral at Hierapolis has very little left. You need to use your imagination to imagine what it looked like. Not many visitors make this short walk on the Roman road to the remaining arch, but it still an important part of history.
' fill='%23359391'%3e %3cpath d='M46.1538462%2c43.5714286 L41.5%2c50 L36.8461538%2c43.5714286 L36.8670256%2c43.5714286 C36.3173077%2c42.7142857 36%2c41.6851429 36%2c40.5714286 C36%2c37.4854286 38.4535641%2c35 41.5%2c35 C44.5464359%2c35 47%2c37.4854286 47%2c40.5714286 C47%2c41.6851429 46.6826923%2c42.7142857 46.1329744%2c43.5714286 L46.1538462%2c43.5714286 Z M41.4294872%2c39 C40.6150641%2c39 39.9487179%2c39.675 39.9487179%2c40.5 C39.9487179%2c41.325 40.6150641%2c42 41.4294872%2c42 C42.2439103%2c42 42.9102564%2c41.325 42.9102564%2c40.5 C42.9102564%2c39.675 42.2439103%2c39 41.4294872%2c39 L41.4294872%2c39 Z' id='Location-white'%3e%3c/path%3e %3c/g%3e %3c/svg%3e)
