Pamukkale, meaning
"cotton castle" in
Turkish, is a natural
site and attraction in
south-western T
urkey
in the Denizli Province.
The ancient city of
Hierapolis was built on
top of the white
"castle" which is in
total about 2700 meters
long and 160m high. It
can be seen from a great
distance, eg. when
driving down the hills
on the opposite side of
the valley to the town
of Denizli, which is 20
km away. Pamukkale is
located in Turkey's
Inner Aegean region, in
the River Menderes
valley, which enjoys a
temperate climate over
the greater part of the
year.
The tectonic movements
that took place in the
fault depression of the
Menderes river basin did
not only cause frequent
earthquakes, but also
gave rise to the
emergence of a number of
very hot springs, and it
is the water from one of
these springs, with its
large mineral content
chalk in particular
that created Pamukkale.
Apart from some
radioactive material,
the water contains large
amounts of
hydrogen
carbonate and calcium,
which leads to the
precipitation of calcium
carbonate. The effect of
this natural phenomenon
leaves thick white
layers of limestone and
travertine cascading
down the mountain slope,
making the area look
like a fortress of
cotton or a frozen
waterfall.
Pamukkale
Pamukkale is a very
famous tourist
attraction of Turkey,
and tourists travel from
the coast of Antalya and
the Aegean Sea to this
place as it is one of
two World Heritage Sites
in Turkey, together with
Hierapolis. Only a few
other places in the
world are somewhat
similar, such as the
Mammoth Hot Springs in
the USA, and HuangLong
in SiChuan Province of
China (another UNESCO
World Heritage Site).
Unfortunately, Pamukkale
was abused for decades
in the late 20th
century, as hotels were
built on top of the
site, destroying parts
of the remains of
Hierapolis. The hot
water was taken to fill
the hotel pools, and the
waste water was even
spilled over the
monument itself turning
it brownish. In
addition, a tarmac road
ramp was built right
into the main part.
People walked around
with shoes, washed
themselves with soap and
shampoo in the pools,
and even rode bikes and
motorbikes up and down
the slopes.
After UNESCO turned its
attention to Pamukkale,
and the site was
dramatically losing its
attraction, the
officials finally acted.
The hotels were
demolished, and the road
ramp was covered with
artificial pools which
nowadays are, unlike the
most other parts,
accessible to
bare-footed tourists.
Even tadpoles can be
found
in there. A small trench
was carved along the
outside of the ramp, to
collect the water and
prevent it from spilling
in the "wrong" places.
These brownish parts are
left to be bleached by
the sun first, without
being covered by water,
as this would worsen the
problem. Many pools are
thus empty. Others parts
are covered with water
for an hour or two
according to a schedule
which is on display on
top of the hill.
The underground volcanic
activity which causes
the hot springs, also
caused carbon dioxide to
seep into a cave which
as a result was called
the Plutonium (= "place
of the god of the
dead").
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