Pamukkale
If Heaven is a place on Earth, this is one of the few locations where it could be! Probably that is what the kings of Pergamon believed as well when they decided to establish here the thermal spa of Hierapolis 🙂
Located in the province of Denizli (East Turkey), the calcite-laden waters have attracted admirers even since ancient times with their unreal landscapes, waterfalls, basins (often assimilated with swimming pools), mineral forests, turquoise lake and the white petrified cliff itself. Today, along with the hundreds and hundreds of people who delighted themsleves with Pamukkale’s beauty and benefits, I can proudly count myself among them!!! 🧿
Even though this one-day trip has been canceled in the last moment and than postponed for 2 days in a row, I do not regret being a bit stubborn and finally taking a bus to this simply amazing place created by nature. ⛰
A lot of you would think that is not worth traveling this year, but I am telling you there is no better time for exploring (especially open-air attractions).🤩I knew about the “cotton castle” for a long time now, yet I did not imagine I would visit it just with one friend and 3 or 4 other people around. Being there when the white mountain could shine freely under the blue sky, when the water is cristal clear and the birds sing around with no noisy crowd to interrupt them felt like a dream. 🏞
Interesting facts:
🦶🏼 when entering the area, the visitors are asked to take off their shoes in order to protect the surface and (i suppose) keep it perfectly white just like mother nature give it to us;
🏃🏼♂️ yes, tourists have to climb all that cliff by foot, but, believe me, it’s an enjoyable walk and is not so hard as it seems to reach the top;
🤸🏼♂️ if you ever used heel stone for cleaning your feet, than you understand me when I say that is exactly the feeling I had when walking on the calcareous ground (it is like having a treatment for you legs included in the ticket);
🧗🏻 no, the surface is not slippery at all, on the contrary is a bit harsh;
💳 the museum card works to enter for free;
🏊🏻 the “pools” are not very deep: the water might reach your knee when standing up, but is enough for covering the body while laying down;
🍽 food, changing rooms and few entertainig activities are available also near the lake (for example boat rides for kids or parachuting);
🏛 Pamukkale is not just about the thermal waters, it is also hiding an impressive history around it.
Founded by the Attalid kings at the end of the 2nd century B.C., Hierapolis was the city that continuously flourished on this land till 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D when it was distroyed by an earthquake (like many other Greco-Roman contemporary constructions). A later restoration made it possible for us to admire today what once were the baths, temple, a monumental arch, a nymphaeum, a necropolis and a theatre. Nowadays, archeological works are still taking place and hopefully soon we will be able to have a better view of the ancient city, just like in Ephesus.🔍
The take over of Constantinopol and the opening to Christianity by emperor Constantine has had a great impact over the area as well as in many cities from the Ottoman Empire. As proof, historians describe the region rather as an important religious center for the Eastern Roman Empire.⛪️
Besides the interesting past of Pamukkale and the way people used it to enjoy their hot summer days, for agriculture means or even for scouring and drying wool, I should mention that its waters are still source of a the area’s hydraulic system (especially during spring) and the main attraction for tourists in Turkey. Moreover, if you cannot reach Cappadocia during your staying in this beautiful country, you might have the chance to enjoy hot-air baloons here as well. 🎈
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