Friday 9 November 2012

PAMUKKALE, TURKEY

Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year.

The ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which is in total about 2,700 metres long, 600 m  wide and 160 m high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away.

Tourism is and has been a major industry. People have bathed in its pools for thousands of years. As recently as the mid-20th century, hotels were built over the ruins of Hierapolis, causing considerable damage. An approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motor bikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes. When the area was declared a World Heritage Site, the hotels were demolished and the road removed and replaced with artificial pools. Wearing shoes in the water is prohibited to protect the deposits.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.











4 comments:

  1. Very enjoyable, great pictures! Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh wow, great pictures of beautiful places.

    ReplyDelete
  3. When were you there Nick? This is a place i missed when i went to Antalya, hoped i booked the local tours before going there. These made me so envious!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What an interesting series, great captures!

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear from you, so please comment. I appreciate constructive criticism as it improves my skills as an amateur photographer.