Worth a full size peek! This is what Hierapolis, in southwest Turkey, is all about and why this ancient site is now a UNESCO world heritage site. These are travertine hot springs - very similar to those in Yellowstone in USA. Hierapolis was founded in the 2nd century BCE by the Greeks as a healing center. At its peak use, by the Romans in the 2nd century AD, there where at least 15 baths and major pools. One of them was used by Cleopatra when she visited the city and that pool, which still bears her name, is preserved today. Until 1988 the upper slope on the right was completely occupied by huge hotels. It was a very popular site but it was being totally wrecked by careless development and the pools were collapsing. With the cooperation of the Turkish Government it was declared a World Heritage Site and by 2000 all the hotels had been torn down. It was a huge controversy but the Turkish government persevered. I wonder, would the U.S. government have had the jam to declare Yellowstone a National Park in 1988 if Teddy Roosevelt had not already made it so? Something to think about. Water from the hot springs bubbles out onto the surface and as it does so it loses calcium carbonate. It leaves these massive deposits of inorganic limestone called travertine, which very conveniently forms these beautiful series of terraced pools on the sides of the mountain. The Turkish people call this area Pamukkale, which means cotton castle. Yes, you can see people in the pools. Every day a limited number of tickets are sold so that some people can still experience the hot spring pools. And you can see the ruins of one of the ancient bath houses. The vapors which come from this site are associated with Pluto, the God of the Underworld. There are caves in the side of the mountain that were used as sites of worship of that God. But when the Christians took over the city they sealed off all these caves. Previous Heirapolis

"Heirapolis-east wall"