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About PAMUKKALE
The
stunning white calcium pools,
which cling to the side of a
ridge, have long been one of
the most famous picture
postcard views of Turkey.
Pamukkale, literally meaning
“cotton castle”, is also the
site of the ancient city of
Hierapolis of which there
are many interesting ruins,
and is a very popular
destination for a short
visit.
Pamukkale was formed when a
spring with a high content
of dissolved calcium
bicarbonate cascaded over
the edge of the cliff, which
cooled and hardened leaving
calcium deposits. This
formed into natural pools,
shelves and ridges, which
tourists could plunge and
splash in the warm water.
Hotels were springing up
from the 1970s to cater for
the large influx of tourists,
and shortly afterwards
UNESCO declared it a World
Heritage Site. But by the
1990s, this took its toll on
the state of the calcium
pools and restrictions were
placed on these travertine
terraces. Many hotels were
knocked down, visitors are
only allowed on major paths
around the sites, and must
remove footwear to stand on
the calcium deposits. This
seems to have been a
successful move, as the
water supply is now used for
preservation and some of the
damaged calcium deposits
have been strengthened. |
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Turkey Office | Istanbul Cd. Muhasebeci sokak.
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