I saw the snow first, a great gleaming hillside of it. No, said Erol the guide, it is travertine. Travertine is marble, shiny and white as the first snowfall of winter, stretching across half the mountain. The area is Pamukkale, meaning ‘cotton castle’.
We walked across the top of the glistening white terraces, which cascaded down the mountain side. Some terraces formed pools filled with blue water, enticing enough for us to paddle in. The bottom was slightly slimy and soft.
Around the bend were more of the magical terraces, this time tinged with pink and green minerals. The terraces have been formed by calcium carbonate leaching out of the water.
The sight reminds me of the 19th century tourist attraction which brought people from all over the world in New Zealand - the pink and white terraces. They were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Tarawera. Here in Turkey, the legendary terraces of Pammukale, were in danger of being destroyed by their own popularity. Until a few years ago you could book into a hotel right on the terraces and play all day in the natural infinity pools. Now that UNESCO has declared them a world natural heritage Site, and recent buildings have been removed.
But they left the remains of several thousand years of civilisation, at the spa city of Hieropolis, built by the Romans in 190 BC, on the hillside and plateaus above the terraces. There are marble paved roads, golden limestone arches, old stone latrines, a thermal swimming pool, temple
pillars, and a huge necropolis- a city of the dead. Hierapolis was famous as a healing centre and for its mix of pagan, Roman, Jewish and early Christian populations. St Philip was said to be martyred here.
The whole site, stretching over many hectares, is being excavated and reconstructed with funding by the Italian car company, Fiat. Not sure of the connection there, but other sites are funded by Mercedes, and Chrysler. Hierapolis was a wealthy city in its time, and it is taking the wealth of the 21st century to bring back some of its glory.
Some of the Turkish wealthy and their families are enjoying the 4 day ‘Sacrifice’ holiday at the same hotel as we are. Pam Thermal Hotel http://www.pamhotel.com/ is just below the Terraces, and boasts several thermal pools from 28-56 degrees. It could well be the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in ! It was glorious to sit in the sludgy brown water, watching the steam rise, and the children playing, while we relaxed muscles tired after bus travel, and time travel, in this most impressive and beautiful landscape.
We walked across the top of the glistening white terraces, which cascaded down the mountain side. Some terraces formed pools filled with blue water, enticing enough for us to paddle in. The bottom was slightly slimy and soft.
Around the bend were more of the magical terraces, this time tinged with pink and green minerals. The terraces have been formed by calcium carbonate leaching out of the water.The sight reminds me of the 19th century tourist attraction which brought people from all over the world in New Zealand - the pink and white terraces. They were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Tarawera. Here in Turkey, the legendary terraces of Pammukale, were in danger of being destroyed by their own popularity. Until a few years ago you could book into a hotel right on the terraces and play all day in the natural infinity pools. Now that UNESCO has declared them a world natural heritage Site, and recent buildings have been removed.
But they left the remains of several thousand years of civilisation, at the spa city of Hieropolis, built by the Romans in 190 BC, on the hillside and plateaus above the terraces. There are marble paved roads, golden limestone arches, old stone latrines, a thermal swimming pool, temple
pillars, and a huge necropolis- a city of the dead. Hierapolis was famous as a healing centre and for its mix of pagan, Roman, Jewish and early Christian populations. St Philip was said to be martyred here.The whole site, stretching over many hectares, is being excavated and reconstructed with funding by the Italian car company, Fiat. Not sure of the connection there, but other sites are funded by Mercedes, and Chrysler. Hierapolis was a wealthy city in its time, and it is taking the wealth of the 21st century to bring back some of its glory.
Some of the Turkish wealthy and their families are enjoying the 4 day ‘Sacrifice’ holiday at the same hotel as we are. Pam Thermal Hotel http://www.pamhotel.com/ is just below the Terraces, and boasts several thermal pools from 28-56 degrees. It could well be the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in ! It was glorious to sit in the sludgy brown water, watching the steam rise, and the children playing, while we relaxed muscles tired after bus travel, and time travel, in this most impressive and beautiful landscape.
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