This article first appeared in Issue 7 of our free digital magazine CURIOUS.
Since the second century BCE, the city of Pamukkale, which neighbors the ancient Roman site of Hierapolis, has been used as a natural spa. The ancient formation was once believed to have healing powers, decked out with hot thermal springs and white terraces that make for some pretty visually stunning R&R.
The natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey was made possible by thermal spring water that brought bucketloads of calcite into the region. It’s classed as travertine, a type of limestone that forms when a mineral-rich lake or river system evaporates and leaves behind a crusty, but admittedly quite beautiful, calcium carbonate trail.
As a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, it’s recognized as a site of cultural and natural heritage to be protected and admired. A fitting status for a spot that once bathed the kings of Pergamon, a Greek state that ruled during the Hellenistic period.
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Hierapolis is the name of the ancient Greek city that was built on top of the travertine formation, which has been nicknamed the Cotton Palace for its snow-white limestone. The crusty cotton formed over millennia as mineral-rich waters dripped down the mountainside.
As a type of sedimentary rock, the travertine was deposited by 17 hot springs in the region whose temperatures range from 35°C (95°F) to 100°C (212°F), aka balmy to boiling. The milder temperatures made for a warming spa for humans of the second century BCE at a time when doctors considered it to be a healing center.
The site’s historic significance is remembered in a museum that contains historical artifacts including Bronze Age trinkets. Its past is also spelled out in archaeology, as the site boasts the Theatre of Hierapolis and a necropolis (ancient cemetery) with sarcophagi that stretch for over a mile.
How to get there
The Çardak Airport is the nearest airport to Pamukkale. From there, it’s around an hour’s drive.
CURIOUS magazine is a digital magazine from IFLScience featuring interviews, experts, deep dives, fun facts, news, book excerpts, and much more. Issue 10 is out now.
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