Pamukkale is a natural site in southwestern Turkey, in the Denizli Province. Pamukkale means “cotton castle” in Turkish, named for the famous carbonate mineral left by the thermal spring that flows in the area. This remarkable site in the River Menderes Valley, enjoys a temperate climate most of the year. This is where the ancient Greek city of Hierapolis (Holy City) was built, atop the travertine formation that expanded over 2,700 meters long, 600 meters wide and 160 meters high. You can still see Hierapolis from hills about 20km away in the town on Denizli, on the opposite side of the valley.
Pamukkale has been a sought after visitor spot since Classical antiquity because of the thermal springs, but in the 20th century when hotels were built over top of the ruins of Hierapolis it created damage to the ancient site. Luckily, Hierapolis was later declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the hotels were demolished. The site has been repaired and contains some well preserved Roman ruins and a museum, but the travertine terraces are now off limits having suffered damage, water pollution and erosion due to the tourism.
And we will be visiting this breathtaking site on Day 10 of the Turkey Retreat! October 10th we will enjoy a Yoga session departing from Bodrum. After breakfast we will make our way to Pamukkale. We will visit White Terraces and walk and swim in natural waters. AND, even though it is a very full day, we will also squeeze in a visit to Hiearapolis Ancient City! After our full day we will make our way to our hotel.
If you’d like to join in our 2022 Turkey Retreat, learn more and sign up here – https://olotita.com/turkey2022/
