Pamukkale



The ancient Greek city of Hierapolis was built on top of the travertine formation which is in total about 2,700 meters (8,860 ft) long, 600 m (1,970 ft) wide and 160 m (525 ft) high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away. Known as Pamukkale (Cotton Castle) or ancient Hierapolis (Holy City), this area has been drawing visitors to its thermal springs since the time of Classical antiquity.[1] The Turkish name refers to the surface of the shimmering, snow-white limestone, shaped over millennia by calcite-rich springs.[2] Dripping slowly down the mountainside, mineral-rich waters collect in and cascade down the mineral terraces, into pools below. Legend has it that the formations are solidified cotton (the area's principal crop) that giants left out to dry. 

The attraction of the thermal pools has drawn people to the area for thousands of years. [1] Hotels were built over the ruins of Hierapolis as recently as the mid-20th century, causing significant damage. [requires citation] Motorbikes were allowed to ride up and down the slopes after an approach road was built from the valley over the terraces. The hotels were demolished, and the road was removed and replaced with artificial pools after the area was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [requires citation] On-site, there are well-preserved Roman ruins as well as a museum

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Geology

Travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by mineral water from hot springs, is used to build Pamukkale's terraces. [1] There are 17 hot springs in this area, with temperatures ranging from 35°C (95°F) to 100°C (212°F). The water from the spring travels 320 meters (1,050 feet) to the travertine terraces' head, where it deposits calcium carbonate on sections 60 to 70 meters (200 to 230 feet) long, spanning 24 meters (79 feet) to 30 meters (98 ft). When calcium carbonate-supersaturated water reaches the surface, carbon dioxide escapes, and calcium carbonate is deposited.

Archaeology

Only a couple of historical facts regarding the city's beginnings area unit illustrious. There aren't any signs of Hittites or Persians being gifts. within the half of the seventh century B.C., the Phrygians created a temple. This temple, which was originally utilized by the voters of Laodicea, would later become the guts of Hierapolis.

Within the sphere of the Seleucid Empire, Hierapolis was based as a thermal spa within the early 2d century B.C. Antiochus the nice sent two,000 person families from Babylon and Mesopotamia to geographic region and geographical area, later supplemented by a lot of from the geographic area. The person community in Hierapolis grew, reaching a peak of fifty,000 folks in sixty-two B.C.. [3] Hierapolis became a healing center, with doctors treating their patients with the thermal springs. within the second century B.C., the town began minting bronze coins.

Museum

Historical artifacts from Hierapolis, additionally as Laodicea, Colossae, Tripolis, Attuda, and different cities within the Lycos (ürüksu) depression, are found within the deposit. a locality of the deposit is devoted to artifacts discovered at Beycesultan Hüyük, which has samples of Bronze Age craft.

There also are artifacts from the Caria, Pisidia, and geographical region regions on show. The museum's exhibition area is created from 3 closed square measures of the Hierapolis bathtub and open areas on the jap aspect that are thought to own served as a library and gymnasium. the bulk of the artifacts within the open exhibition area square measure made from marble or stone. Hierapolis has been reduced to ruins.