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Sightseeing - Pamukkale

Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site and attraction in south-western Turkey in the Denizli Province. Pamukkale is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the Menderes Valley and is 220 kilometres from Didim. The ancient city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white castle which is about 2700 meters long and 160m high.

General Information

The waters rise from the ground at a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius. In this white wonderland is an abundance of hot warm springs which are recommended for the treatment of circulatory problems, digestive maladies, eye & skin diseases, high blood pressure, heart diseases, nervous disorders, physical exhaustion, nutritional disorders and rheumatism. Furthermore, according to ancient tradition, the waters within the pools of Pamukkale are said to be advantageous in treating maladies and attracting people from all over the world.

Today Pamukkale is a tourist attraction which is recognized as a World Heritage Site along with Hierapolis and was included to the World Heritage Sites in 1988. Before the World Heritage designation, Pamukkale was unprotected for decades in the late 20th century and hotels were built on top of the site, destroying parts of the remains of Hierapolis. The hot water from the springs was taken to fill hotel pools and waste water was spilled over the monument, turning it brownish. A tarmac road ramp was built into the main part. People walked around with shoes, washed themselves with soap and shampoo in the pools and rode bikes and motorbikes up and down the slopes.

By the time UNESCO turned its attention to Pamukkale, the site was losing its attraction. Officials made attempts to restore the site. The hotels were demolished, and the road ramp was covered with artificial pools. Visitors are only allowed on major paths around the sites, and must remove footwear to stand on the calcium deposits. A small trench was carved along the outside of the ramp to collect the water and prevent it from spilling.

Origin of Pamukkale

The tectonic movements that took place in the fault depression of the Menderes River basin triggered numerous earthquakes, which also led to the emergence of a number of very hot springs. Pamukkale was created from the water from one of these springs which included large mineral contents of chalk in particular.

The water contains large amounts of hydrogen carbonate and calcium. Every second 250 litres of hot water arises from this spring, precipitating 2.20 grams of chalk per litre of water or 0.55 kilograms of chalk every second. During the course of time some of the sources dried because of earthquakes, although new ones arose in the neighbourhood.

The result of this natural phenomenon has formed thick white layers of limestone and travertine cascading down the mountain which resembles a frozen waterfall. One of these formations consists of crescent shaped travertine terraces with shallow water, lying in a step like arrangement down the upper one-third of the slope, with steps that range from 1m to 6 meters in height. The other form consists of stalactites, which prop up and connect these terraces.

The oldest of these rocks are crystalline marble, quartzite and schist. They date back to the Pliocene period, while the top layer belongs to the Quaternary. The deposits of calcium carbonate give the site an astounding white look.

These sources were well known in the Antiquity. They were described by the Roman architect Vitruvius. The Phrygian Greeks built Hierapolis on top of the hill. They attributed medical properties to the spring water, bestowed by the gods, especially Asklepios (demigod of medicine) and his daughter Hygieia (goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation), under Apollo's (god of medicine and healing) protection.

About Hierapolis

Hierapolis is an ancient city on top of the famous Pamukkale hot springs located in south-western Turkey near Denizli.

The hot springs of Pamukkale were used as a spa since the 2nd century B.C., and people came to soothe their ailing here. Hierapolis was founded in 190 B.C. by Eumenes II, King of Pergamon. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, it reached the height of its development as a Roman thermal bath centre.

Hierapolis has ruins such as, the city walls, the octagonal Martyrium of St. Philip, the 2nd centre theatre, Temple of Apollo, basilica, the necropolis which covers 2 km. and contains some of the best examples of tomb styles. It is known to be one of the best preserved cemeteries of Anatolia. The east bath is an archaeology museum which houses many of the remains from Hierapolis.

Significant Structures of Hierapolis

The Hellenistic city was built with streets running parallel or perpendicular to the main street. The main street was about 1.500 m long and 13.5 m wide, and was bordered on both sides by an arcade. At both ends of the main street there was a monumental gate, flanked by square towers built with massive stone blocks. The side streets were about 3 m wide. Another gate, named the Domitian, is close to the northern city gate. This triumphal arch, flanked by circular towers, consists of three arches and was built by proconsul Frontinius.

The great baths were constructed with huge stone blocks and consisted of various closed or open sections linked together. There are deep niches in the inner section of the bath, library, gymnasium and other closed or open locations. The complex, which was constructed in the 2nd century, constitutes a great example of vault type architecture. The complex is now an archaeological museum.

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