Pamukkale

Pamukkale means ‘Cotton Castle’ in Turkish, and the white terraces on the hillside do resemble a castle built from cotton when seen from the valley below. The formation is calcium carbonate — calcium-rich thermal water flowing continuously down the cliff face over thousands of years, depositing mineral sediment that has built up into a series of shallow terraced pools. The water temperature is 35–36°C and the pools are ankle to knee depth. Shoes are not permitted on the terraces; the barefoot walk up the slippery white surface takes 20–30 minutes. The colour of the terraces shifts depending on the mineral concentration and algae content — not uniformly white, but ranging from cream to pale blue-green at the water’s edge.

Above the terraces, the ruins of Hierapolis occupy the plateau at the top of the hill. The city was founded in the 2nd century BC by the Attalid kings of Pergamon, expanded under Roman rule into a major spa and pilgrimage centre, and remained occupied into the Byzantine period before a series of earthquakes depopulated it in the 14th century. The site is UNESCO World Heritage-listed. The Roman theatre, completed in the 2nd century AD, seated 12,000 and is one of the best-preserved in Anatolia. The necropolis — one of the largest in the ancient world — contains over 1,200 tombs stretching north of the city walls. The Plutonion, a grotto emitting toxic carbon dioxide gas that was interpreted in antiquity as a gateway to the underworld, is on the south side of the main excavation area.

The Antique Pool (Kleopatra’s Pool) sits within the Hierapolis site and allows swimming among submerged Roman column fragments in thermal water at 36°C. Entry to the pool is not included in the standard Hierapolis entrance ticket and requires a separate fee. Pamukkale town at the base of the hill has a good selection of halal restaurants. The site is best visited in the morning before the coaches arrive from Antalya and Bodrum; a 07:00 start covers the terraces and the main Hierapolis ruins before the midday heat. April to June and September to October are the most comfortable months.