The Turkish natural park Pamukkale is known all over the world - the baths with thermal water decorated with snow-white stalactites and calcite influx form whimsical and unique cascades that attract millions of tourists a year. Literally, the toponym "Pamukkale" translates as "cotton castle", which quite accurately reflects the impressions of this place. Any visitor to the country can and should visit Pamukkale, this direction rightfully occupies a leading position in the top attractions of Turkey.
Where is Pamukkale, a description of the surroundings
The thermal springs and the surrounding hill with the ruins of Hierapolis are located in the Denizli province, 20 km from the city of the same name and in the immediate vicinity of the village of Pamukkale Köyu.
At a distance of 1-2 km, the salt mountains look unremarkable and even modest, but as they get closer, their uniqueness and beauty become undeniable. The entire elevated plateau is filled with cascades and terraces of hardened calcareous tuff, which has acquired an amazing smoothness over the centuries. Numerous baths resemble shells, bowls and flowers at the same time. The landscapes of Pamukkale are recognized as unique and worthy of protection by UNESCO.
The dimensions of the plateau are relatively small - with a length of no more than 2700 m, its height does not exceed 160 m. The length of the most beautiful section is half a kilometer with a height difference of 70 m, it is its tourists who pass barefoot. 17 thermal springs with water temperatures ranging from 35-100 ° C are scattered throughout the territory, but the formation of travertine is provided by only one of them - Kodzhachukur (35.6 ° C, at a flow rate of 466 l / s). In order to preserve the color of the terraces and the formation of new baths, its bed is regulated, the access of visitors to the not yet hardened slope areas is prohibited.
The foot of the mountain is decorated with a park and a small lake filled with spring and mineral waters, less beautiful, but open for bathing travertines are scattered along the edge of the village. In a refined form, they are found in hotels and spa complexes.
Of particular interest to tourists is the Cleopatra pool - a Roman thermal spring restored after the earthquake with healing water. Immersion in the pool leaves an unforgettable experience: both because of the special surroundings (fragments of agora and porticoes were left at the bottom of the spring, the water area is surrounded by tropical plants and flowers), and because of the water itself, saturated with bubbles.
Other attractions of Pamukkale
In the immediate vicinity of the travertine are the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis, forming with them a single security complex (Hierapolis) with a general entrance ticket. It is from this point that most paid excursions begin, although there are exceptions. This is due to the large number of interesting objects that attract lovers of history and reconstruction. Even as part of a one-day excursion, it is recommended to find the time and energy to visit:
- The largest necropolis in Asia Minor from the times of Hellenism, Rome and early Christianity. On its territory there are a variety of graves, including the "Hero's Graves", erected in the form of a house.
- The main building of Hierapolis is an amphitheater with a capacity of 15,000 people, located on the right side of the Byzantine hill.
- Basilica and tomb of the Apostle Philip, who was executed by the Romans about 2000 years ago. This place has a sacred meaning for adherents of the Christian faith, the discovery of the chapel-tomb allowed to unite many disparate details and confirmed some of the revelations of other saints.
- Temple of Apollo, dedicated to the sun god.
- Plutonium - a religious building, after the construction of which the ancient Greeks began to associate Hierapolis with the entrance to the kingdom of the dead. Modern archeology has proven the deliberate laying of crustal breaks in order to intimidate believers, since the rising gases killed not only birds, but also larger animals without touching a knife.
- Archaeological Museum, located on the territory of the covered Roman baths and has collected the most beautiful and well-preserved reliefs, statues and sarcophagi.
Restoration work in the complex has been actively carried out since 1973, again and again confirming the status of Hierapolis as a respectable and rich balneological resort. But the sights of the area do not end in one park; if you have free time, it is worth visiting the ruins of the ancient city of Laodikia, the Kaklik cave and the Red Springs of the Karaikhit geothermal resort. They are 10-30 km away from the village of Pamukkale Köyu, and you can quickly get to any object by car.
Features of the visit
The best time to get to know Pamukkale is considered the off-season, in the summer in the middle of the day it is too hot over the pools, in winter the passage is difficult due to the requirement to take off your shoes. Experienced tourists are advised to bring backpacks or shoulder bags (shoes will be needed when viewing the ancient ruins from the other side), plenty of water, sun protection, kerchiefs and similar hats. Only lira and credit cards are accepted for payment at the entrance, currency exchange should be taken care of in advance.
Formally, the park is open from 8 to 20 o'clock, no one kicks out tourists who are in shoes and moving within the walkway at sunset, this time is considered the best time to get the most beautiful photos. It should be remembered that there are no places for recharging equipment on the territory of the park; tripods and monopods cannot be used on travertines.
How to get there, prices
The estimated price of the excursion in 2019 is $ 50-80 for a one-day trip and $ 80-120 for a two-day trip. To enjoy the beauty of the springs and their surroundings to the fullest, you should choose the second option. But this trip cannot be called easy, in the most successful scenario, the tourist will have to travel at least 400 km, families with small children and people of age should soberly assess their strengths.
Optimal conditions are observed when buses depart from Marmaris (and therefore from the nearby resorts of Bodrum and Fethiye) or from Antalya, the trip takes no more than 3-4 hours one way. When departing from Side, Belek or Kemer, at least an hour is added to this time ... Day tours from Alanya and similar Mediterranean resorts in Turkey start at 4-5 am and end late at night.
This is why most experienced travelers recommend traveling to Pamukkale in a rented car or bus. There are no problems with buying tickets or booking hotels on site.
We advise you to look at the city of Ephesus.
The cost of a single paid ticket for access to Hierapolis and travertines is only 25 lira, another 32 lira is paid when planning a swim in Cleopatra's pool. Discounts are available for children from 6 to 12 years old, the smallest ones go through the ticket office for free.
Luring customers, local travel agencies call completely different amounts at sea resorts, but in reality even an internal flight from Istanbul in both directions (180 lira) is cheaper than buying a "profitable" sightseeing tour. But it is worth paying attention to the well-organized two-day trips offered by major tour operators.
