The attraction of Pamukkale is the ancient city of Hierapolis. Hierapolis. museum. photo gallery

Today I invite you on a tour of one of the unusual sights of Turkey - the white mountain and the ancient city

Almost every tourist who came to (even on a package tour to an all-inclusive hotel) and saw photos of this unusual place- with turquoise water, tends to visit the white mountain. Often guides call Pamukkale "the eighth wonder of the world" and lure not only beautiful photos, but also the opportunity to swim in the famous swimming pool with mineral water – Cleopatra's pool.

But you can get to Pamukkale not only with a tour, but also on your own. How to get to Pamukkale, I already talked about Pamukkale hotels and the village itself.

Pamukkale and Hierapolis: opening hours and cost of visiting

And is one large complex, on one side of which is the mountain itself with travertines, and on the other - the remains ancient city Hierapolis and Museum. Between them is the pool of Cleopatra.

Pamukkale complex can be accessed from two directions:

• the first entrance to the mountain from the town of Pamukkale near the lake. At the entrance, you need to take off your shoes and climb up the mountain barefoot (you can’t walk in shoes on the white travertine terraces, this is strictly monitored by a security guard!)

• or you can enter through the entrance, near which the northern necropolis of Hierapolis is located. They like to bring buses with tourists to this second entrance, and there is more parking for cars near this entrance. If you entered through the second entrance, then you have to go through the ruins of the ancient city to the travertines for quite a long time. But here it is allowed to walk in shoes 🙂, and take off your shoes only when entering the white terraces.

Working mode:

The entrance to the territory of the Pamukkale complex is open:

• from 8:00 to 21:00 from April 15 to October 2
• from 8:30 to 17:00 from October 3 to April 14

Visit cost:

The cost of visiting Pamukkale (Pamukkale) - 35 lire, you can pay both in cash and by bank card.

The Hierapolis museum is located on the territory - the cost of visiting is 5 lira.

The cost of visiting the Cleopatra pool (Antique pool) - 33 lira

Pamukkale - White Mountain, located near the city of Denezli. The word "Pamukkale" is translated as "cotton castle". This white mountain was named so because it actually resembles a mountain of white cotton, well, or snow.

It reminded me more of snow than cotton, but probably the Turks did not know what snow was, so they associate this white mountain with cotton (although it is strange why the Turks were not familiar with snow - they also have snow in the mountains , even there are, not as good as in, but for beginners or for families with children they are quite suitable). Whatever it was, now this mountain and the village next to it is called Pamukkale.

Pamukkale travertines

Pamukkale travertines (white terraces of a bizarre shape) were formed over the years due to the deposition of salts of calcium carbonate, which is contained in mineral waters ah, flowing down the mountain. The mountain is not salty!

At the top of the mountain there are 17 springs with mineral water different temperatures: 30 -38 degrees. In general, travertine is a stone, between limestone and marble. The whole Pamukkale mountain is covered with such a white stone.

Water flows from the top of the mountain, filling the terraces. Now, as we understand, the water is turned on according to the schedule. When we were on the travertines of Pamukkale (in the evening) not all terraces were filled with water. But still, you could go into some of them and warm your legs in 35-degree water.

Some tourists completely climbed into this water (although it is shallow there - knee-deep). I also thought I would enjoy a warm bath, but when we went up the mountain we were in a hurry, and when we went down it was already cold. Although I prepared for swimming in advance - I even put on a swimsuit 🙂

The healing properties of the mineral waters of Pamukkale have been known since very ancient times. Also in ancient times a SPA complex was formed here. On the site of the Roman baths, even a pool was built, where Queen Cleopatra herself bathed. The water in it all year round is about +36 degrees. They say that after taking a dip in this pool, people feel reborn! IN Cleopatra's pool always crowded. We didn’t plan to swim in it, we already enjoyed the warm, almost deserted pools with mineral water in the thermal baths near.

And in Pamukkale they treat skin and cardiovascular diseases, gastritis, bronchitis. In some cases, you need to take baths, and in some cases, you need to drink water. But, of course, all this must be done in a course and under the supervision of a doctor.

Previously (until 1997) there were hotels right on the Pamukkale mountain - hydropathics with pools with thermal water. Because of this, white travertines began to become dirty, gray, lose their bright white color. They decided to demolish the hotels, and since 1988 Pamukkale has been under the protection of UNESCO.

Now the white travertines are beginning to be restored (for this they have banned passage through almost all sections of the white mountain and very strictly monitor compliance with the rules), but before full recovery former beauty is still very far away.

Climbing the mountain must be done very carefully. It is slippery here and you have to walk on sharp pebbles barefoot. At the end of the path, the path narrows, and there are a lot of people. Mountain on one side, cliff on the other. I slipped there and fell on a sore leg, it's okay, but I was very scared. Be careful, especially keep an eye on children.

Going down the mountain was also not fun: we went down after sunset, in the dark. Not only is it slippery and prickly to go, it is also cold! Hot water was cut off (horror, and they turned off the hot water, not only here in Kyiv) and we walked along the cold mountain, occasionally stopping to warm our feet in a groove with hot water next to the cliff. I haven't been this cold in a long time!

After passing the travertine, we go upstairs, put on shoes and get into beautiful park.

Roses, daisies, cypresses, mountains… benches for rest. Here you can sit endlessly breathing dry Mountain air with the scent of roses and enjoying the surrounding landscapes.

But we need to go further.

The ancient city of Hierapolis

The ancient city of Hierapolis) or Hierapolis was built in 190 BC. by order of the king of Pergamon, Eumenes II, on the site of ancient buildings that date back to 2000 BC. Because of its healing thermal springs, the city has gained great popularity.

The city was part of the Roman Empire, and then Byzantium. One of the 12 apostles, Saint Philip, preached in the city. Here he died a painful death.

As it turned out later, the place for the construction of the city of Hierapolis was not chosen well - earthquakes very often occurred here and the city was destroyed and rebuilt more than once. After the last earthquake in 1354, it was no longer restored.

Now on a vast territory we can observe the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis.

Here is one of the largest necropolises in Turkey with hundreds of crypts and sarcophagi. They say people came for treatment thermal springs, but not all diseases could be cured, they died and were buried in the northern necropolis of Hierapolis.

Central entrance the Gate of Domitian served in Hierapolis, through which we get to a street about 1 km long and 14 m wide. Previously, there were houses along the street, now you can see only their remains.

And we rush through the field to the ancient amphitheater with the hope of meeting the sunset there. But we miscalculated the time a bit and the sunset caught us in the field.

Looking at beautiful sunset, which was very inconvenient to shoot without a tripod, we decided not to go to the amphitheater, but until it got dark we started going down.

We admired the Hierapolis amphitheater from afar. It was built on a hill in the 2nd century. Designed for 12 thousand spectators. In the summer it hosts music festivals.

The last shots in the flowers on the square near the Hierapolis Museum, we take off our shoes and start descending.

1. Pamukkale is definitely worth a visit, preferably on your own, without a travel agency. The most convenient way to get there is by car or bus. And you can fly by plane to Denezli. Look for plane tickets on the website aviasales.ru.

2. Plan more time to visit Pamukkale. The territory of the complex is huge. It is optimal to spend the whole day here from morning to evening and spend the night in the village. The hotel can be selected and booked on booking.com. We spent 4 hours visiting the complex - not enough!!! The ruins of the ancient city quickly ran through, the museum and Cleopatra's pool were not visited.

3. Pamukkale favorite place packers. They bring here tourist buses from all over the coast! From, Kemer,. From 11 am to 5 pm the travertines are not overcrowded. Keep this in mind when planning your Pamukkale tour. Unfortunately, the entrance ticket can only be used once, otherwise it would be optimal to do this: from morning to 12 to explore Hierapolis, go down to the city, have lunch, relax in the hotel, swim in the pool, and after 5 pm climb the travertines to the top and see the sunset there.

4. During the day on the mountain it is very hot and the sun is bright: Be sure to bring water, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.

5. Wear a swimsuit - you may want to climb into the travertines with mineral water. We saw how people changed in the middle of the mountain, wrapped in a towel - not a pleasant sight. When you go up the hill from the travertine, please put on your clothes. For some reason, Russian-speaking tourists often think that Turkey is one big beach and everywhere go in bathing suits. No, this is not a beach, you still need to wear clothes 😎

6. Keep in mind that you can only walk barefoot on the travertines. And even in May in the evening it was very cold to go down the cold stone. If you are planning a trip to Pamukkale in winter, it is better to enter from the northern entrance, walk through the ruins of the ancient city, approach the travertines, and then decide whether to go down or not.

7. Photography on travertines from a tripod is prohibited.

I hope my story and advice will help you in planning your trip to Pamukkale. Have a nice holiday!

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We went to the next point of our route - the resort town of Pamukkale.

How to get there. By bus.

Since Pamukkale is a famous tourist attraction in Turkey, tourists are brought here from different corners countries various local travel agencies. If you want independence, then buses to Pamukkale run from any city from the bus station. We traveled from Goreme by bus, the journey took a long 9 hours. This trip turned out to be the most difficult, although we drove at night, we were still tired and didn’t get enough sleep. On the other hand, we saved on the hotel by spending the night on the road. The ticket cost us 50 lire per person. Bought a ticket from a friend bus company Metro. In Göreme, it is located in the parking lot where all buses (otogar) arrive. By the way, at the entrance to the office there is a board with the direction and time of departure, very convenient.

All intercity buses they go only to the city of Denizli, located 19 kilometers from Pamukkale, and in Denizli, passengers transfer to a free minibus going to Pamukkale.

By plane.

It is possible to get to Pamukkale by plane, but only from Istanbul. You will arrive at Cardak Airport, located an hour's drive from Denizli, from there you can get to Pamukalle by minibus.

By train.

The nearest railway station is also to Denizli, though direct trains run only from Izmir. From Denizli, again, use the minibus.

On dolmush (minibuses).

From bus station Denizli minibuses go to Pamukkale, the journey takes 20 minutes, the fare costs 3 lira per person. We just got to Pamukkale on a dolmus, although when we reached Denizli we could transfer to a free minibus. But according to the plan, we were promised to meet and accommodate our acquaintances in Denizli. In reality, none of this happened, unfortunately, and after waiting an hour, we left for Pamukkale on our own. The dolmus parking lot is located on the ground floor of the bus station, before the trip, be sure to ask the driver to stop in the center of Pamukkale. We did not do this and almost went to another place, we tried to find out on the way, but we did not get anything from the locals, and the driver was not called.

Where to stay.

On a good note, of course, you need to book a hotel room in advance. We usually do it here:

But since we relied on the hospitality of friends and did not book anything in advance, we had to look for a hotel on the spot. After wandering through the streets of Pamukkale, we chose the Kocak Otel. Quite an old hotel that was being refurbished in some places. The room cost us 30 lire per person, with a simple decor and a poorly functioning drain in the shower, but the hotel had a pool and free breakfast.

Helpful information.

Entrance to the territory of Pamukkale is paid - 25 liras per person, the price includes a visit to the ancient city of Hierapolis.

In general, Pamukkale and Hierapolis are one big complex: a mountain with travertines, a park and the territory of the ancient city of Hierapolis. You can enter the complex from two sides. Main entrance is located next to the park with pools, and the second from the northern necropolis of Hierapolis.
Opening hours are from 8.00-20.00, but you can come earlier and leave later, in my opinion, no one really follows this. It is only allowed to walk barefoot on the travertines, so it will not be superfluous to take a backpack with you. IN without fail hats, sunscreen and plenty of water, don't forget your cameras. Bathing in travertines is prohibited, but this did not stop some. If you also plan to take baths in travertines, then you should put on a swimsuit in advance, as there is nowhere to change clothes on site. When planning your visit, take into account such a moment that somewhere from 11.00 to 17.00 there are a large crowd of people on the travertines - tourist buses carry tourists. For example, we arrived at 5 pm, it was not so hot and not so crowded. In total, we spent about 4.5-5 hours on the territory of the complex, and still not everyone had time to see it, an extra hour would not hurt.

Snow-white Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis

Pamukkale is an amazing place, known since ancient times for its hot springs with a high concentration of calcium oxide, which can treat many diseases. It includes 17 geothermal sources with water temperature from 35 to 100 degrees and bizarre reservoirs-terraces formed from travertine. Travertine is called rocks formed as a result of the deposition of lime mineral springs.

Our introduction to this amazing place we started from the main entrance, next to which natural Park"Yuzme havuzlaru" with a lake and pools filled with thermal water from the mountain. Ducks swim in the lake, you can ride a catamaran, and swim and sunbathe in the pools.

The road leads up the slope of the "cotton" mountain, dotted with grooves, recesses, pits, through which thermal water flows. In places it is cold, in places warm, and in some places even hot. In all the recesses, the water is very clear, but as soon as you step with your foot, a muddy whitish suspension rises from the bottom, which gradually settles again.

Although it was evening time, it was very hot, many adults were splashing in travertines, to say nothing of a child. Camilla at first modestly wetted her feet, and then dispersed and, looking at others, began to take water procedures 🙂

Here the water is hotter

Untouched travertines filled with turquoise clear water look fabulous.

Huge snow-white travertine walls are also impressive.

And what an amazing panoramic view opens from this height ...

So climbing higher and higher we reached the top of the mountain, and before us opened a view of a beautiful park. Walking in the park, you understand that the money for entrance tickets is not wasted, the park is so well-groomed and beautiful. It is noticeable how much work, effort and money have been invested in its development and maintenance. We walked around the park almost alone and it was great! Enjoyed the surrounding beauty, silence, light breeze... Wonderful place!!!

Beautiful flowers growing along the roads and paths will be your companions throughout the journey. And we went to the ancient ancient city of Hierapolis. I will not write about the history of this city, all this can be found on the Internet, I can only say that it is beautiful even now. I want to note that in order to get to it you need to go through a lot, the territory is simply huge. Time, unfortunately, urged us on, so we examined the ruins of the city in a hurry. Many did not have time to see at all, for example, the museum, Cleopatra's baths. By the time we got to Hierapolis, all available shops or kiosks selling water were closed, and we ran out of water. And yet we did not rush and return, we decided to walk to the amphitheater.

We only reached these gates, and the road led further ...

From here we moved to reverse side to the amphitheater and saw him in the distance. The road led up the slope, we walked for quite a long time and the lack of water affected, especially on my daughter. In general, tormented by thirst, somehow got to the entrance to the amphitheater and were rewarded! We did not expect to see this - it was amazing! We just can't express our feelings in words. It's like getting into the ancient past and seeing everything with your own eyes. The most interesting thing is that we did not see any photos of this amphitheater, we did not know what awaits us. While walking towards it, we saw only the outside, which looks unremarkable. But inside - it's something, a real revelation!

We did not want to leave at all, meanwhile, the sun was trying to set and we had to move on. By the way, we solved the water problem with the help of the amphitheater guard. He shared his supplies and gave us a drink, we were very grateful to him. And the sunsets in Pamukkale are very beautiful ...

We returned through the travertines, it was already dark, the sun had set. In the dark, travertines are illuminated by spotlights, but you still need to be careful not to slip on wet, slippery stones, sometimes even sharp ones.

In fact, it was already dark.

Our opinion.

Impressions from Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis are the most enthusiastic. No wonder we overcame the 9-hour journey and came here, it's worth it. I recommend everyone to visit, preferably not on a tour, but on their own, so that nothing prevents you from being imbued with this amazing and great place. I wish you all wonderful experiences!

Hierapolis (also Hieropolis , Hierapolis or Hierapolis ) - the ruins of an ancient city and a unique ancient resort in Pamukkale (province Denizli, Turkey). An object world heritage UNESCO.

Brief history of the city

It is known that buildings on this territory were already in the second millennium BC. e. In 190 BC. e. was founded here new town. The founder is the Pergamum king Eumenes II from the Attalid dynasty. The city was named Hierapolis, which is translated from Greek Ἱεράπολις means " Holy City". Later, the city was almost completely destroyed by a major earthquake, but was rebuilt.

In the II century. BC e. Hierapolis was already under the control of Rome. It was during this period that a large resort center, as near the city there are unique thermal springs with a high content of calcium.

It is known that in 80 AD. e. in the city, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, Philip, was martyred (he was crucified on the cross).

In the IV century. Roman emperor Constantine I the Great (founder of Constantinople) made Hierapolis the capital of the region of Phrygia.

By the end of the IV century. the city passes into the power of the Byzantine Empire.

At the beginning of the XIII century. Hierapolis becomes Turkish territory.

The inhabitants finally left the city after a major earthquake in 1354.

Surviving architectural monuments

On the territory of Hierapolis, several outstanding monuments have been preserved in ruins. ancient architecture. The largest of them is an ancient amphitheater for 12 thousand spectators (one of the largest in Turkey). Also here is the largest ancient necropolis in the country. Other monuments: a temple in honor of the god Apollo; temple in honor of the god Pluto; the ruins of Roman baths with Cleopatra's pool in their place; a temple over the site of the martyrdom of St. Philip and other buildings.

Pamukkale

Pamukkale is unique natural object, which includes 17 geothermal springs with water temperatures from 35 to 100 degrees, as well as terrace ponds formed from travertine. At the moment, this is perhaps one of the most popular attractions in Turkey. In 1988, Pamukkale and the ruins of the city of Hierapolis, which is located on the territory of Pamukkale, were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Pamukkale

Pamukkale Turkey, get to Pamukkale

Pamukkale is located in the province of Denizli, in the southwest of Turkey. You can also get to it on your own. First you need to get to the city of Denizli, which is 65 kilometers from Pamukkale. And from there you can already get on free scheduled buses. The first way is by plane. Denizli Airport receives flights from twice a day. You can also fly to Izmir, which is a 4-hour drive from Denizli. Railroad station accepts trains only from Izmir. Denizli-Pamukkale buses run from almost any city in Turkey, but keep in mind that they also only reach Denizli, where you will already transfer to another bus. Private dolmushi also run from the Denizli bus station.

Pamukkale Natural Park was formed as a result of water flowing down the slopes of the mountain, which forms a system of bizarre reservoirs of limestone - travertine. These dazzling white terraces were formed as a result of the deposition of salt from calcium-rich thermal water. Pamukkale was used as resort area since ancient times.
Pamukkale

Entrance to Pamukkale costs 30 Turkish Lira, in rubles it is about 536 rubles. The mountain is open for tourists around the clock. Walking on travertines is prohibited, except for a zone specially open for tourists. And even in this zone it is allowed to walk only barefoot. Swimming in travertines is also prohibited, compliance with these rules is monitored special people, although many tourists still plunge into travertines.

In addition to the travertines in Pamukkale, there are the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis - which began to be built as early as 2000 BC. The main attractions of this city are the necropolis, which was built of marble and limestone. It was located outside the city walls along the road. In the necropolis, you can find many grave monuments and tombstones, which are divided into three types - sarcophagi, crypts and Lycian graves.

The amphitheater of Hierapolis accommodated more than 15 thousand spectators at the same time, and has 300 degrees, overall height 100 meters. The construction of the amphitheater was completed in 206 AD. The temple is the martyrium of St. Philip, built in the 4th century. According to the legend, this temple was built on the site of the death of the apostle, where supposedly his grave was located, which could not be found. The Temple of Apollo, which, according to seismological research, was built over a fault passing underground. This natural phenomenon often used by priests to prove their connection with the gods.

Another natural attraction of Pamukkale is Cleopatra's Pool. This is a pool with thermal water, the temperature of which is 36 degrees, it tastes like Borjomi. In order to prevent tourists from swimming in travertines, it is allowed to swim in the Cleopatra Pool.

And complete your journey through Pamukkale and Hierapolis with a visit to the museum, which is open in the buildings of the Roman baths. Here you will find displays of jewels, coins, sarcophagi, sculptures and bas-reliefs that were found in the ancient cities of Laodicea, Tripolis and Colosse.

http://youtu.be/vbOti6V3sD0

Services for tourists that will save or get more for the same money:

• – the journey begins with the choice of profitable insurance, the service allows you to find the best option according to your requirements;

Pamukkale

Pamukkale is a unique natural site, which includes 17 geothermal springs with water temperatures from 35 to 100 degrees, as well as terrace ponds formed from travertine. At the moment, this is perhaps one of the most popular attractions in Turkey. In 1988, Pamukkale and the ruins of the city of Hierapolis, which is located on the territory of Pamukkale, were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Pamukkale

Pamukkale Turkey, get to Pamukkale

Pamukkale is located in the province of Denizli, in the southwest of Turkey. You can also get to it on your own. First you need to get to the city of Denizli, which is 65 kilometers from Pamukkale. And from there you can already get on free regular buses. The first way is by plane. Denizli Airport receives flights from twice a day. You can also fly to Izmir, which is a 4-hour drive from Denizli. The railway station only accepts trains from Izmir. Denizli-Pamukkale buses run from almost any city in Turkey, but keep in mind that they also only reach Denizli, where you will already transfer to another bus. Private dolmushi also run from the Denizli bus station.

Pamukkale Natural Park was formed as a result of water flowing down the slopes of the mountain, which forms a system of bizarre reservoirs of limestone - travertine. These dazzling white terraces were formed as a result of the deposition of salt from the calcium-rich thermal water. Pamukkale has been used as a resort area since ancient times.
Pamukkale

Entrance to Pamukkale costs 30 Turkish liras, which is about 536 rubles in rubles. The mountain is open for tourists around the clock. Walking on travertines is prohibited, except for a zone specially open for tourists. And even in this zone it is allowed to walk only barefoot. Swimming in travertines is also prohibited; these rules are monitored by special people, although many tourists still plunge into travertines.

In addition to the travertines in Pamukkale, there are the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis - which began to be built as early as 2000 BC. The main attractions of this city are the necropolis, which was built of marble and limestone. It was located outside the city walls along the road. In the necropolis, you can find many grave monuments and tombstones, which are divided into three types - sarcophagi, crypts and Lycian graves.

The amphitheater of Hierapolis accommodated more than 15 thousand spectators at the same time, and has 300 degrees, with a total height of 100 meters. The construction of the amphitheater was completed in 206 AD. The temple is the martyrium of St. Philip, built in the 4th century. According to the legend, this temple was built on the site of the death of the apostle, where supposedly his grave was located, which could not be found. The Temple of Apollo, which, according to seismological research, was built over a fault passing underground. Priests often used this natural phenomenon to prove their connection with the gods.

Another natural attraction of Pamukkale is Cleopatra's Pool. This is a pool with thermal water, the temperature of which is 36 degrees, it tastes like Borjomi. In order to prevent tourists from swimming in travertines, it is allowed to swim in the Cleopatra Pool.

And complete your journey through Pamukkale and Hierapolis with a visit to the museum, which is open in the buildings of the Roman baths. Here you will find displays of jewels, coins, sarcophagi, sculptures and bas-reliefs that were found in the ancient cities of Laodicea, Tripolis and Colosse.

http://youtu.be/vbOti6V3sD0

Services for tourists that will save or get more for the same money:

• – the journey begins with the choice of profitable insurance, the service allows you to find the best option for your requirements;