Turkiye Day 3 & 4 - Pamukkale

If you have not read the previous related post, read it here.

After a tiring day in the area around Ephesus and passing by the areas near Pamukkale, we finally arrived at our hot spring hotel! This location is rich in seismic activity with lots of hot springs and steam geysers.

Harnessing natural steam power


Finally, the hotel!


Somehow this newspaper caught my eye.


There was a warm indoor jacuzzi right below my hotel room! Nice, but it can get rather noisy.


Hot springs! The outdoor one was slightly cooler than the indoor one and there are accessible from each.

A good night's rest and we were ready to visit the highlights in this region. Pamukkale is also called the "Cotton Castle". Hot spring water causes Calcium bi-carbonate to ooze out from the mountain slopes that form beautiful pools of blue water on the snow white slopes. Unfortunately, over tourism have devastated the place. Hotels rechannelled the hot water to their own hot spas resulting in the whiteness of the slopes turning brown and the pools of water drying up. The hotels have since been removed and hopefully this place will recover its former beauty. Like almost all other sites visited so far, this is a world heritage site.

Besides being a beautiful natural wonder, there is also the ancient city of Hierapolis located at the site we visited. In ancient times the city was one big spa with all the hot spring water. Rich Greeks/Romans will come to Hierapolis to spend their last days here, resulting in the city having the large Necropolis.

Slopes from the bottom


View Larger Map
Map of Pamukkale & Hierapolis


Gate to Hierapolis


Theater of Hierapolis, 15,000 capacity. As with Ephesus, theaters are always built with the sun rising from the back of the audience to illuminate the stage. All shows were in the morning.


Some wild grass


Some of the pools that still have blue water left. Many years ago all the pools were filled with water.


Empty pools now stand


Pool structures, the spikes are formed from the minerals.


Close-up


Lack of water due to the diversion of hotels caused the whiteness to disappear in many pools.


Brown stuff can now be seen, probably the actual underlying soil.


Pools can be quite big


The ancient hot spring pool of Hierapolis


Now this place is operational as a hot spring destination.


Some remaining parts of Hierapolis, protected. Used as a museum but it was closed.


Map of Hierapolis on top of Pamukkale


Leaving through the gates again

Our longest coach journey was up next. We were heading towards the highlight of the trip -- Cappadocia, the Land of the Beautiful Horses. The place is a natural wonder due to different layers of rock formations as a result of nearby volcanic activity. In a way it is similar to the Grand Canyon in the US, water erosion have carved out the huge wonder. However the journey there was arduous for our butts in the bus. Furthermore our magic buspet suffered a punctured tire.

We had a break at this place that served nice thick yoghurt with honey and Opium Poppy Seeds!


Passing farmland


Cute kid


Being spring, this was near the end of Cherry Blossom season. They start out pink and turn white. Glad I got to see lots of them even though I did not end up in Japan.


More cherry blossoms!


Close-up of cherry flowers


Standard farm tractor


We stopped at a Caravanserai, it was a protected place for merchant convoys that was built every 30km to offer protection to traders by the Seljuks.


Patterns at the gate. These builders were fans of geometric design.


Local information


The courtyard


Horses and camels were kept under these arches


Sleeping quarters


More sleeping quarters


The roof

Finally by late evening we arrived at the town Ürgüp where we stayed at Dinler hotel. This would be our hotel for two nights and is claimed to be the best 4-star hotel in the region.

View the next post here.

Return to the trip index here.