New Delhi: Pamukkale is not just another UNESCO Heritage Site in Turkey but a place which holds tremendous natural wonder. The name Pamukkale is literally translated as “Cotton Palace” and the place has beautiful white terraces. They have been formed over the centuries as mineral-rich hot springs cascade down the hills. Also, it has the ancient city of Hierapolis. Once upon a time, the Romans bathed in thermal waters which had healing properties, or so was thought. As per UNESCO, even Cleopatra, the great Egyptian queen once swam in these healing waters.
Hierapolis-Pamukkale: The stunning heritage site in Turkey
The waters laden with calcite from springs in a cliff which is 200m high have resulted in the formation at Pamukkale. The landscape with ethereal beauty is made up of mineral forests, a series of terraced basins and waterfalls. The ancient Greek city of Hierapolis was built on top of the travertine formation.
The Attalid kings of Pergamom established the spa of Hierapolis at the end of the 2nd century B.C. One can see the ruins of Greek monuments including baths and temples at the site. Pamukkale is located in Turkey’s Denizli province and was the focus of admiration for people who visited the nearby Hellenistic spa town of Hierapolis.
The hot springs were also used for drying wool and scouring. In 133 BC, Hierapolis was ceded to Rome and the place flourished. Notably, many patrons retired or died there as evidenced by the large necropolis filled with tombs, most famously that of Marcus Aurelius Ammianos, and the Tomb of Philip the Apostle.
During the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D., the place reached its peak and in 60 AD, an earthquake destroyed it. However, it was rebuilt once again. There are remains of baths, temple ruins, a necropolis and a theatre. Hierapolis is the place of the martyrdom of St. Philip in 80 A.D., and the place with several churches became the Eastern Roman Empire’s important religious centre. Both Pamukkale and Hierapolis became UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1988.
