Pamukkale means cotton castle in Turkish. It is located in the Denizili Province in the
southwest of Turkey in the Inner Aegean region located in the River Menderes
valley. It is a natural site that is travertine’s, natural hot springs, and
terraces that have been formed by the carbonate rich minerals from the water
that once flowed over it. Pamukkale is a wonderful place to visit no matter the
time of year because it maintains a mild climate no matter the season.
The white castle is where the
Byzantine city of Hierapolis sat atop. This ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine
city is nearly 9,000 feet long and almost 2,000 feet at its widest point and stands
just over 500 feet high. From its seat on top of Pamukkale it can be seen all
the way from the hills of the valley opposite it and even from the town of
Denizili which is just over 12 miles away.
One of the major draws of
tourists to the area is bathing in the pools that have been located here for
thousands of years and were once the Roman baths of the ancient city. Sadly
with the boom of tourism there were many hotels that were built over the ruins
of Hierapolis and this caused considerable damage. To prevent further damage to
the area after it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site the hotels were
torn down and access to the road that approaches was denied by motorbike. The
area was then rebuilt with artificial pools. To protect the natural deposits of
element that are in the natural pools the wearing of shoes in the water is
strictly prohibited. There are 17 hot water springs with temperatures that
range from 95 °F to 212 °F. The water from the springs travels down the
travertine terraces of the white palace and are filled with deposits of calcium
carbonate. When this completely hardens it becomes a layer over the travertine.
This is why Pamukkale is called the white palace the calcium carbonate leaves a
layer of white over the travertine it travels coating it with up to 1 mm
causing the area to have a white finish hence moniker the white palace.
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