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A photo of Pamukkale by Antoine Taveneaux –

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Pamukkale

Pamukkale is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. Pamukkale means cotton castle in Turkish. The area is famous for a carbonate mineral left by the flowing of thermal spring water.

A thermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermically heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The place is located in Turkey’s Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley. the valley has a temperate climate for most of the year. Let’s go through the top ten interesting facts about Pamukkale.

1. People have visited the place since the time of Classical antiquity

Classical antiquity is a period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the th century AD centered on the Mediterranean Sea. The period interlocks civilizations of ancient Greek and ancient Rome hence is called the Greco-Roman world.

People have visited the area for thousands of years. This is due to the attraction of the thermal pools. Hotels were built over the ruins of Hierapolis as a result of the ruins hence causing considerable damage.

2. The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Pamukkale photo by HALUK COMERTEL –

UNESCO World Heritage Sites are places important to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention established in 1972. The hotels that were built on the ruins were demolished and the road constructed over the terraces was removed. The demolished structures were replaced with artificial pools.

There are well-preserved Roman ruins and a museum on the site. A small footpath runs up the mountain face for people. However, the travertine terraces are all off-limits. This is because they have suffered damage, erosion, and water pollution due to tourism.

3. Calcium carbonate is formed naturally at Pamukkale

Pamukkale’s terraces are made of travertine. Travertine is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. In this area, there are 17 hot springs with temperatures ranging from 35 °C to 100 °C.

The water that emerges from the springs is transported 320m to the head of the travertine terraces. Calcium carbonate is deposited at sections 60 to 70 m. When the water supersaturated with calcium carbonated reaches the surface, carbon iv oxide escapes to the environment.

Calcium carbonate is therefore deposited as a soft gel. The calcium carbonate gel ten crystallizes into travertine eventually.

4. Pluto’s gate is found at Pamukkale

A photo of Pluto’s gate by Carole Raddato –

Pluto’s gate was a religious site dedicated to the god Pluto hence the place is called a ploutonion. The ploutonion is located in the ancient city of Hierapolis near Pamukkale in Moden Turkey.

The underground volcanic activity that happens at Pamukkale causes hot springs and also forces carbon dioxide into the cave, Pluto’s gate. You may be wondering how the priests who used the cave for religious purposes survived in the cave with a suffocating gas. The priests found a way to appear immune to the suffocating gas.

5. Pamukkale has a museum

The museum contains historical artifacts from Hierapolis, Laodicea, Tripolis, Attuda, and other towns of the Lycos valley. Artifacts from the Caria, Pisidia, and Lydia regions are also on display. Exhibitions in the museum space consist of three closed areas. The artifacts in open space are mostly marble and stone.

6. Pammukale is called the cotton castle

Pamukkale hot springs photo by Broken Inaglory –

Pamukkale is ponouned as pah-mook-kah-leh. By literal translation of the word Pamukkale in Turkish, the place is then called the cotton castle. The reason behind the place being called the cotton castle is because of its almost exact similarities to the white cotton mountain slopes with those of cotton plantations in Turkey.

7. A city was once built on top of the hill

The ruins of the city at Pamukkale were destroyed due to human encroachment on the place. Instead, hotels and roads were built but were later demolished under the command of UNESCO after the place was named a Heritage site in 1988.

Hierapolis was founded in the early 2nd century BC within the sphere of the Seleucid Empire. Hierapolis became a healing center where doctors used the thermal springs as a treatment for their patients.

In 17 AD, during the reign of Emperor Tiberius, the city was destroyed by a major earthquake and the people moved out leaving the ruins of the city.

8. It is the most visited individual site in Turkey

A photof tourists at Pamekkale by HALUK COMERTEL –

Pamukkale is a good place where everyone would like to visit as long one is in Turkey either as a Domestic tourist or a foreign tourist. People have visited the area for thousands of years.

According to statistics, it is said that Pamukkale has over a million visits per year. This is because of its warm temperatures throughout the year. However, the best time of the year to visit Pamukkale is during the spring holidays.

9. Pamukkale was an ancient spa town

Hierapolis town became into existence as a spa town. To be exclusive, the Romans are the ones that built the spa city. The antique pool still exists. It is littered with marble columns from the Roman temple of Apollo.

10. Pamukkale has a sacred pool

A hot water pool at Pamukkale by Serhio Magpie –

The Roman baths were transformed into a Christian basilica. During the Byzantine period, the city continued to flourish and also remained an important center for Christianity. The antique is the sacred pool. It is located beside the temple of Apollo.

Pamukkale is a place that advertises itself because it provides the best travel experience. It allows anyone to relax his or her muscles in warm pools like the Antique Pool. It is so relaxing and one cannot get bored from visiting the place over and over again. Be sure to visit Pamukkale during the spring holidays and you’ll get to write a good personal journal from it.