Pamukkale

Located in the Denizli Province of southwestern Turkey, Pamukkale exemplifies nature’s artistic mastery. About 2,700 people call this amazing location—whose name in Turkish is “cotton castle“—home. Pamukkale, which is located in Turkey’s Inner Aegean area’s gorgeous River Menderes valley, has a moderate temperature most of the year, which makes it a great place for those looking for both historical significance and natural beauty.

Pamukkale is distinguished by its remarkable terrain of white travertine terraces created over millennia by mineral-rich thermal springs. From the town of Denizli, 20 kilometers distant, these terraces—which span an amazing 2,700 meters in length, 600 meters in width, and reach heights of up to 160 meters—create a mesmerizing display. Calcite-rich springs have sculpted the glittering, snow-white limestone formations by gently slumping down the mountainside and gathering in cascading pools below.

The peculiar look of Pamukkale results from a complicated interaction between water and minerals in the geology. There are seventeen hot springs in the area ranging in temperature from 35°C to 100°C. Emerging from these springs, the mineral-laden water runs 320 meters to the travertine terrace top. The water, supersaturated with calcium carbonate, changes quite remarkably on this path. Once on the surface, carbon dioxide comes out of the water and deposits calcium carbonate as a soft gel. This gel crystallizes over time into the arresting travertine formations defining the terrain.

Beyond its natural beauty, Pamukkale appeals for a rich tapestry of history and culture. Hierapolis, an ancient Greek city with millennia of ebb and flow of civilizations, sits atop the travertine formation. Hierapolis’ beginnings are unknown; no evidence of Hittite or Persian presence has been found. Archaeological data, however, points to the Phrygians building a temple nearby most likely in the first half of the 7th century BC.

Under the Seleucid Empire, Hierapolis came really into its own as a thermal spa in the early 2nd century BC. The city’s reputation as a place of healing attracted people from all around seeking the therapeutic qualities of its thermal springs. Doctors of the day included these natural resources into their treatments, so confirming Hierapolis’s reputation as the best health centre in the ancient world.

The city’s significance kept rising; by 62 BC, it was home to a sizable Jewish population—estimated at up to 50,000 people. Antiochus the Great decided to move 2,000 Jewish families from Babylon and Mesopotamia to Lydia and Phrygia, with more later joining from Judea, so causing this demographic change.

Hierapolis started striking its own bronze coins in the second century BC as Hierapolis grew. Scholars continue to disagree on the etymology of this name; some suggest it honors Hiera, the wife of Telephus, son of Heracles and the Mysian princess Auge, while others propose it refers to the original temple (hieron in Greek). The name changed with time to become Hierapolis, “holy city.”

When Attalus III passed his kingdom to Rome upon his death in 133 BC, Hierapolis’s fortunes changed dramatically. This occasion signalled the city’s admission into the Roman province of Asia, so launching a fresh period of influence and growth. But the city’s expansion was momentarily stopped in AD 17 when a catastrophic earthquake under Emperor Tiberius’s rule caused extensive destruction.

With Christianity came more changes for Hierapolis. While Paul was in Ephesus, his influence resulted in the founding of a church in the city. Later, the apostle Philip spent his last years in Hierapolis; history holds that he was martyred there in AD 80. Later on, a martyrium was constructed on the supposed site of his crucifixion, and his daughters were reported to have been prophets in the area.

Christianity started to supplant other religions in the area as it grew more well-known. The actions of fourth-century Christians, who piled stones on Pluto’s Gate (a ploutonion), to represent the ascendancy of their beliefs, point to this change. The significance of the city in the Christian world kept rising; in 531 the Byzantine Emperor Justinian raised the Hierapolis bishop to metropolitan rank.

Originally hubs of social and cultural life, the Roman baths were converted into a Christian basilica reflecting the evolving spiritual terrain of the city. Hierapolis stayed a vibrant metropolitan center and a major Christian hub throughout the Byzantine era.

At the on-site museum today, guests to Pamukkale can discover the traces of this rich past. Housed within the vaulted Hierapolis Bath buildings and surrounding open-air areas, the exhibition space highlights a wide range of objects. These comprise relics from nearby ancient cities including Laodicea, Colossae, Tripolis, and Attuda in addition to Hierapolis. Beyond the nearby area, the museum’s collection includes Bronze Age crafts from Beycesultan Hüyük in addition to relics from the Caria, Pisidia, and Lydia regions.

Officially, Pamukkale and Hierapolis’s ongoing importance was acknowledged in 1988 when UNESCO added the site to its World Heritage List. This title recognizes the great historical and cultural value as well as the natural beauty of the area. Pamukkale’s ethereal travertine terraces combined with the well-preserved ruins of Hierapolis produce a distinctive scene where human history and nature interact in amazing fashion.