Pamukkale is a natural site in the Denizli Province in South-western Turkey. It is also known as Cleopatra’s pool as the Egyptian Queen is said to have swum here. The word Pamukkale means “cotton castle” in Turkish which gives it another name ‘The Cotton Castle of Turkey’.
It is named so because of numerous cascading white pools with turquoise water surfaces. The stunning natural phenomenon of this site has been used as a spa for thousands of years. The mineral-rich Pamukkale hot spring waters are high in calcium, magnesium sulphate and bicarbonate.
Fast Facts: –
- It has a total of 17 hot springs that hold gallons of mineral-rich turquoise water. The temperatures of the pools can range from 35°C to 100°C.
- The hot spring terraces at Pamukkale are highly sensitive to any disturbance so visitors are not allowed to walk wearing shoes.
- It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1988.
- This natural site has more than a million visitors per year on an average.
- Next to this site there is an ancient Roman spa city called “Hierapolis” founded around 190 BC.
- It was a Greco-Roman and Byzantine town that stood on top of the castle.
- Severe earthquakes destroyed the city in 133 BC, and again in 60 AD.
- In 1988 Pamukkale along with Hierapolis, was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- It is more than 100 meters in height and can be easily be seen from the closest town, Denizli, located around 20 kilometers away.
