Pamukkale, meaning “Cotton Palace” in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in south-western Turkey.
The ancient city of Pamukkale contains hot springs and travertine’s (terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water). The emergence of these hot springs was triggered by a number of earthquakes in the area and the calcium terraces were deposited by the heavily mineralized water as a result.
The ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white limestone “castle” which is in total approximately 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. At the end of the 2nd century B.C, the kings of Pergamon, established the thermal spa of Hierapolis. The ruins of the baths, temples and other Greek monuments can be seen at the site. People have bathed in the pools for thousands of years and the waters are believed to have healing and beautifying properties. The area has been declared a United Nations World Heritage Site. In this area, there are 17 hot water springs in which the temperature ranges from 35 °C (95 °F) to 100 °C (212 °F).
