Turkey is known for its beautiful landscape, amazing architecture and some exotic natural wonders. One such wonder is Pamukkale, which means ‘Cotton Castle’, situated in the Denizli Province in southwest Turkey. This is a natural site consisting of fabulous hot springs and travertines, which are terrace formations created by the carbonate minerals deposited by the flowing hot springs. Situated in the River Menderes valley in the Inner Aegean region in Turkey, Pamukkale has for centuries been a major tourist attraction for it’s much sought after natural hot baths.
The 2,700 meters long and 160 meters high cotton castle comprises of 17 hot water springs that have temperatures ranging from 35°C to 100°C. It is because of these extraordinary springs and travertines that Pamukkale was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1988 along with the ancient Greek city of Hierapolis, which once stood atop this magnificent formation. The ruins of this once grand city can also be seen from the opposite hills in the town of Denizli. The Hierapolis still offers tourists many architectural ruins to explore.
Monumental gates flanked the city on the north and south where the main street ran. Remains of another gate close to the northern gate, known as the Domitian Gate still stands today while the other ruins include the Theatre, Temple of Apollo, Plutonium, Nymphaeum, Necropolis and the Martyrium. The colossal Roman Bath, which is the largest building in the ancient city, has since 1984 been turned into the Hierapolis Archeological Museum. The museum not only houses the artifacts of Hierapolis, but also those of Colossae, Tripolis, Laodiceia, Lycod, Attuda, Caria, Lydia, Pisidia including the Bronze Age artifacts of Beycesultan Hūyūk.
Tourists traveling to Pamukkale, generally come here for the hot springs that are said to have therapeutic powers and can heal certain ailments when people bathe in the springs. Apart from this, the sheer attraction of the place also is reason for tourists to visit Pamukkale. The Pamukkale town in the valley below the travertines is a convenient stopover if you are looking for accommodation. The town offers some good hotels and restaurants that are well-equipped with tourist facilities. Other places of interest nearby are the Aphrodisias or the City of Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
Photo by maix provided courtesy of Panoramio.com
Photo by dino campanella provided courtesy of Panoramio.com
Photo by Małgorzata Kasiewicz provided courtesy of Panoramio.com
Photo by roberto bergo provided courtesy of Panoramio.com
Photo by Nihat1988 provided courtesy of Panoramio.com