Pamukkale, an awe-inspiring natural wonder, is known as Turkey's "Cotton Castle." Additionally, the placement of the amazingly well-preserved ruins of the Greek-Roman town of Hierapolis; the bizarre, realistic white travertine terraces; and the clear pools lend glitz to summertime visits to Pamukkale. Pamukkale-Hierapolis has been designated a "UNESCO World Heritage" site because of its extraordinary fusion of manufactured and natural wonders.
It is also the most popular destination in Turkey, with over 2 million visitors a year. When visiting Pamukkale in the summer, you can cool yourself in a magnificent pool filled with warm, mineral-rich water and swim around lovely ancient columns. The busiest time of day is just before sunset. However, Pamukkale is relatively uncrowded in the winter.
Overview of Pamukkale Thermal Pools
Location | Turkey |
Address | Merkez, 20190 Pamukkale/Denizli, Turkey |
Timings | 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Every day) |
Criteria | Cultural and Natural |
Google Map | – |
Highlights
- UNESCO recognizes it as a World Heritage Site. The fascinating travertine terrace pools at Pamukkale draw more than a million visitors yearly.
- An ancient town called Hierapolis was built on top of one of the highest travertine pools. A number of the structures here are around 2,200 years old and still stand, each with its unique story.
- Depending on the weather, paragliding over Pamukkale is possible every day. However, turning it on and off takes an hour to an hour and a half.
- A significant cherry-growing region in Turkey is the Honaz district. On the first or last Monday in June, a festival is held annually to introduce these cherries to the public.
Pamukkale Thermal Pools Ticket Prices
To enter this tourist attraction, you have to buy tickets. Below are the details of ticket price:
Category | Price |
Hierapolis Archaeological Site and Museum ticket | 200 Turkish Lira (TRY) |
Hierapolis Archaeological Site and Museum ticket + Audio Guide |
275 Turkish Lira (TRY) |
Hierapolis Archaeological Site and Museum and Laodicea Archaeological Site ticket | 250 Turkish Lira (TRY) |
Automobile parking ticket | 20 Turkish Lira (TRY) |
About Pamukkale Thermal Pools
Southwest Turkey's Denizli Province is home to the natural component known as Pamukkale, which translates to "cotton castle" in Turkish. The area is well-known for a carbonate mineral left behind by hot spring water. It is situated in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year, in the Inner Aegean region of Turkey.
The travertine formation, which is a total of 2,700 meters (8,860 feet) long, 600 meters (1,970 feet) wide, and 160 meters (525 feet) high, was formed on top of the ancient Greek city of Hierapolis. It is visible from the hills 20 km away, on the other side of the valley, in the town of Denizli.
Since classical antiquity, this region's thermal springs have attracted tourists. The snow-white limestone's surface, carved over millennia by calcite-rich springs, is known by its Turkish name. Mineral-rich waters gather on the mountainside and cascade into ponds below as they drip slowly. Along with Hierapolis, it was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988.
Travertine, a sedimentary rock created by mineral water from the hot springs, is used for the terraces in Pamukkale. There are 17 hot springs in this area that range in temperature from 35 °C (95 °F) to 100 °C (212 °F). The spring's water travels 320 meters (1,050 feet) to the top of the travertine terraces, where it deposits calcium carbonate on parts that are 60 to 70 meters (200 to 230 feet) long and occupy an area of 24 to 30 meters (98 ft).
When calcium carbonate-supersaturated water reaches the surface, carbon dioxide escapes from it, and calcium carbonate is deposited as a result. The water leaves behind calcium carbonate as a soft gel that eventually crystallizes into travertine.
Interesting Facts about Pamukkale Thermal Pools
- From the time of Classical antiquity, people have been going there.
- The hot spring's waters have a temperature range of 35 to 100 °C.
- Pamukkale is known as the "cotton castle" in Turkish, according to a literal translation.
- Due to the similarities between these white terraces and the cotton plantations that grew in central Turkey, the Turkish refer to it as the "cotton castle."
- Cleopatra is rumored to have swum in Pamukkale's Sacred Pool, also known as Cleopatra's Pool.
- There are 17 hot water springs nearby.
- Pamukkale receives more than 2 million visitors each year and is one of Turkey's most popular sites to visit.