The only castle that is not intended for Warfare

You will travel through some of the most incredible scenery ever to get to Pamukkale: Little Turkish villages that time had passed by; fields ripe with cotton for picking; Turkish ladies in their baggy pantaloons and head scarves working the fields whilst their husbands sat under the trees or in the Tea Houses having a game of backgammon (equal rights, I ask you?). In front of the most incredible sight, in the distance you will see this dazzling ’slash’ of white as though snow had decided to fall in this one particular spot and had forgotten to fall on the rest of the landscape. By getting closer, you will realize it is white ‘rock’ covering the cliff side and not snow.

SNOW? MIRAGE? CLOUD?

There are thermal pools set amidst the travertines. These waters are said to have ‘healing’ powers for all sorts of ailments such as stiff joints, skin irritations and so on. There is also another small pool halfway down the cliff, and sitting in this pool is like sitting in a bath, but a bath in the outdoors with an incredible view of the valley below. The other pool, larger size and situated within the walls of one of the hotels. Here you will come across the most incredible swimming pool you’ve ever seen. Many refer to it as Cleopatra’s pool.

The water is the same warm, mineral water that is found in the travertine pools but the base of the pool is strewn with ancient ruins that you can swim around and gaze upon, almost like an underwater museum. People travel from far and wide to see and swim in this pool together with the smaller ‘rock’ pools. You will feel like Cleopatra yourself, languidly floating face up in this warm water soaking up the sun overhead. Probably you have never felt so relaxed before.

ANCIENT CITY OF HIEROPOLIS

Ancient City of Hierapolis is situated close to the travertines. The city of Hierapolis was a cure center, famous for the health-giving properties of its mineral waters and hot springs. Founded in about 200 BC it prospered under the Romans (as a spa) and later the Byzantines. It had a large Jewish community and an early Christian church. The city was destroyed by earthquakes at least four times and in 1334 the people decided it was not an healthy place to live after all and moved on.

Long after the city was named Hierapolis for the Pergamum Queen Hiera, the world Hierapolis took on another meaning- ‘Templeville’. This was because of the extraordinary number of temples erected at the city. The most striking discovery during recent excavations was plutonium found near the Temple of Apollo. The best-preserved ruins are the Roman Baths and the Theatre. Wonder around the Roman Baths, you might feel to be approximately 1800 years old, and through the many halls of the building used as private rooms for the Emperor. One of the rooms now serves as a museum and you will see some fabulous artifacts that are now on display. Continue to the boundaries of the city walls, well preserved with their large bastions, to the ancient burial ground called ‘The Necropolis’. This graveyard is one of the largest to be found in all of Turkey with more than 1200 tombs and sarcophagi. You could have wandered around all day, totally enthralled, but once again, there are many other incredible sight for you witness…