[Smilina]

Pamukkale is Turkey's foremost mineral-bath spa because of its natural beauty: hot calcium-laden waters spring from the earth and cascade over a cliff. As they cool they form dramatic travertines of hard, brilliantly white calcium that form pools.
Pamukkale is one of the most extraordinary natural wonders in Turkey.

Hierapolis (Holy city) - It is known to have been established by Eumenes II, King of Pergammon, during the 2nd century and its name to have been taken from the wife of Telephos, Hyera, who established Pergammon. The city was the capital of Phrygia during the reign of Constantin the Great, and later become the bishops center during the Byzantine Period. Roman architecture dominates the city.

The tectonic movements that took place in the fault depression of the Menderes river basin gave rise to the emergence of a number of very hot springs, and it is the water from one of these springs, with its large mineral content, chalk in particular, that has created the natural wonder now known as Pamukkale, Cotton Fortress, a very appropriate name for such a phenomenon.
The slopes of this hill, which look from a distance like a great white speck, are covered with large numbers of pools and terraces.As you come nearer, you will begin to see this natural phenomenon, which resembles a frozen waterfall, in greater detail.






Pamukkale, near the city of Denizli, has been a spa since the Romans built the spa city of Hierapolis around a sacred warm-water spring. The sacred pool is still there, littered with marble columns from the Roman temple. You can swim in it for a small fee. Guided tours run from Izmir, Kusadasi and Antalya.

As for swimming, all hotels, and most inns and pensions have swimming pools filled with the same warm waters in which you can let the calcium make your skin feel silky.

The extensive ruins of Hierapolis include a grand theater and a vast necropolis (cemetery) - not everyone who came to this health spa went away cured!

See Pamukkale, near Denizli, on a day-trip from Izmir, Selcuk, Ephesus, Kusadasi or Marmaris, or stay a night or two here.

The Pamukkale Ekspresi connects Istanbul and Denizli withovernight sleeper train service.


You can combine a visit to Pamukkale with a visit to Aphrodisias, the ancient City of Aphrodite, goddess of love.

[Mella]

Excellent Smil. I didn't even notice this before. I went to Pammukale and i would throughly reccomend it to everyone. It's amazing.

Sun & Fun travel agency also do an excursion there from Kusadasi http://www.kusadasi.biz/tour2.asp It is well worth a visit!

[Nichola]

Pammukale, comes highly recommended, as does Cleopatra's pool, which is situated at the site. I went there on my recent trip, and was stunned, by the historical features and natural beauty of the place. For me the only draw back, was that we didnt get to spend enough time actually on site, after travelling for a few hours we had lunch at a local hotel and a swim in their mineral pool, we spent an hour and a half at this hotel, which I felt would have been better spent at Pammukale. As it was, we only got to spend two hours, so we opted for a walk around some of the more easily accessable calcium terraces, and a dip in Cleopatra's pool.
I would love to re-visit this site but next time, I'd like to have a longer stay!

[slimjim]

as a footnote please go in to village itself if time allows there is a nice cheap hotel at top of town square for a snack and a drink ,the village people are really nice and make you very welcome , a nice chane to see normal village life as well as the magnificent hills ,ruins and pools

[Shannon]

Cheers for the tip Jim

[Anthony07]

Thanks for the info Pamukkale looks like a good trip are you allowed on the white rocks..?

[Mella]

Originally Posted by Anthony07

Thanks for the info Pamukkale looks like a good trip are you allowed on the white rocks..?

It's definately worth going. It's beautiful there, but you're best to go very early as come lunchtime there's bus loads of Russian tourists arriving.

You're allowed on some of the white rocks, but the most beautiful breathtaking area is all cordoned off to tourists.

You're also meant to take your shoes off to preserve it, but loads of ignorant people ignore the sign posts.

It's a fab day out. I wrote a bit about it Here that'll give you a bit of an idea of what it's like.

[ben]

One day we will go but its a bit of a treck from kusadasi though !