Pamukkale (Hierapolis), Turkey Video

Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year.

The ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which is in total about 2,700 metres (8,860 ft) long, 600 m (1,970 ft) wide and 160 m (525 ft) high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away.

Tourism is and has been a major industry. People have bathed in its pools for thousands of years. As recently as the mid-20th century, hotels were built over the ruins of Heropolis, causing considerable damage. An approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motor bikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes. When the area was declared a World Heritage Site, the hotels were demolished and the road removed and replaced with artificial pools. Wearing shoes in the water is prohibited to protect the deposits.


Pamukkale (Hierapolis), Turkey rassyid

Pamukkale Hierapolis

The site is located a half hour drive from Denizli, the provincial capital. The ancient city of Hierapolis is part of the setting, orginally known as Pamukkale.
The Ancient site has been severely damaged as a result of the recurrent earthquakes, and unfortunately only a few structures remain standing.
The ancient site is most famous with the impressive of incredible size. The extremely well preserved Theater with perfect marble reliefs and the monumental gate with round towers on either side, built in the honor of emperor Hadrian and the colonnaded road behind it are a few of the attractions in the site.