Pamukkale, with its cotton castle and ancient Hierapolis

Pamukkale can give you a unique experience by walking in the thermal spring water. Then stroll into the ancient city of Hierapolis. The blue water and the cotton terraces are a great site, and the temples and the theatre in Hierapolis are impressive.

Pamukkale

My Christmas holiday in 2019 was spent in Turkey. I traveled around the country and had been to Cappadocia before I came to Pamukkale and Hierapolis. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is situated 20 kilometers from Denizli city. There are buses between the city and the site, many times a day. The Turks have called this geological fairyland Pamukkale or “Cotton Castel.”

The entrance

When you arrive by bus, they will let you off in the sleepy village of Pamukkale Köyü. Then you see the white travertine terraces above the village. The entrance is at the bottom here. When entering, you have to remove your shoes, so it is a good idea to have somewhere to put them. As I said, it was December, so the weather was grey and quite cold, around 5 degrees. The calcium surface is not the most comfortable to walk on, but it all becomes more comfortable when you reach the water stream. The water is around 30 degrees.

The pools

It has taken millennia to create this stunning natural wonder. As thermal water surges over the plateau’s edge and cools, carbon dioxide is given a hard chalk and ends up as a solidified waterfall. The pools are not so deep, so they are primarily suitable for wading. However, if you want to bathe, you can do that in Pamukkale Thermal Baths at the top of the plateau.

Ancient Hierapolis

In fear of not seeing all the exciting places in Ancient Hierapolis, I choose to give the swim in the Hot Springs a miss. It looked comfortable, but I thought it was strange with all the tourists walking along the pool. Hierapolis was founded as a thermal spa early in the 2nd century BC. One of the most exciting parts is the colonnaded street, almost 1km long.

The historians do not know too many facts about the city’s origin. You will find the Temple of Apollo and the Plutonium here, and there are also ruins of two Basilicas. What I mainly found impressive was the Roman Theatre. Somehow, Hierapolis had been abandoned in the twelfth century and neglected until excavations in 1957.

Conclusion

This historical and fascinating place is far from most other exciting sites in Turkey. But I still think it is worthwhile going there. What is good in the winter is that there are few tourists. I can also imagine it gets hot under the sun in the summer, and there are few places to find a shadow.