Turkey: Pamukkale, and ruins of Hierapolis!

Pamukkale (“cotton castle”) is just an overnight journey by bus from Goreme, and my next stop in Turkey. Suha Turizm buses in Turkey are spic and span, and as good as flying business class. All the movies are possibly pirated, only in Turkish, and Tom Cruise speaking Turkish is fun to watch!


It’s not cotton, but bright white limestone terraces down which water flows. The limestone deposits can be seen from the town of Pammukale and are all over.


I had to wait for the tour bus to arrive. I saw this dog hungrily reading the breakfast menu and decided to do so myself!

As at most tourist locations, Chinese writing is a must for shopkeepers, and other languages optional!


The city of Hiera (Hierapolis) was founded here by the Greeks in the 2nd Century BC and later expanded by the Romans on top of the limestone terraces, to be used as a thermal spa.


Several earthquakes destroyed the city. Paul, the apostle, founded a church here. The amphitheater was rebuilt for Emperor Hadrian’s visit in 129 AD. The city was renovated by Septimus Severus in 200 AD. 

And in the 4th Century, Christians buried Pluto’s Gate under stones, effectively establishing the might of Christianity. 


The 7th Century saw the town again devastated, first by the Persian army, and then by an earthquake. It was again devastated by the Seljuks, establishing the might of Islam. 

The Seljuk Sultanate built a castle in the 13th Century. The earth re-asserted itself through an earthquake. The ruins were covered gradually under limestone.

The area has been excavated since 1887, and modern excavations from 2008 have uncovered barely 25% of it. “When you come back after a 100 years,” my guide joked, “another 25% would be complete!”



Today, it is a big draw for tourists, who come to take a dip in the pool, for taking selfies against the limestone terraces, where every woman turns a supermodel. I didn’t notice men becoming models however.



This was another hot springs location that I went to, in Pammukale:


I ended the trip going to Selcuk on my way to Ephesus and having dinner at a restaurant there.

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