The snow castles of Pamukkale, Turkey

Image Courtesy: Backpackerlee.wordpress

When we grow up, we make a list in our mind of the best places in the world to see in our lifetime. The spectacular Cotton Castles of Pamukkale, Turkey is one such wonderful place.

Pamukkale is one of the most enchanting place, located at Denizli Province in south western Turkey. In Turkish, it literally means “cotton castle”. The name cotton castle is given to it because of its formation and appearance of the rich mineral bath pools which are nothing but accumulated limestone deposits on the rocks that give the appearance of cascading white cotton clouds over the cliffs. It was also known as a “spa town” in ancient Roman era, where tourists travelled to Pamukkale to relax in warm and soothing waters. People started visiting this magnificent natural wonder when the ancient Romans discovered the curative properties of its warm mineral springs.

The therapeutic qualities of the mineral springs have attracted tourists from all over the world. People also visit Pamukkale to see the ruins of Hierapolis which was an ancient spa town, the Sacred Pool, the Travertines, which are calcium deposit terraces, Roman Theatre and the archaeological Museum. All these places are closely located and one has to walk on foot to visit each place and it requires one full day to experience these magnificent ancient ruins and pools.

The most common route to reach Pamukkale is through Istanbul, which is the major commercial and tourist town of Turkey. To save on time, it is wise to travel in an overnight tourist bus to reach Denizli by the early morning. The moment you get your chance to get the first glimpse of the cotton castles, you will be awestruck by its beauty. It is ironical that Pamukkale looks like a castle made up of snow, when in fact, the average temperature at Pamukkale is quite high, amounting to 36-55 degree Celsius. No words can describe its stunning beauty, it can only be experienced.

The thermal pool was built during the Roman era when they discovered that these warm waters of Pamukkale provided relief for illnesses such as asthma, arthritis and skin problems. The structures of the Antique pool collapsed during the great earthquake in 60AD. We can still see the huge fallen columns. There are stone carvings fallen and resting now in the bed of the pools and it now provides a historic touch to the mineral baths.

What makes Pamukkale different from most places on Earth is that it is not built on land, neither on water, but on limestone deposits above the mineral springs in the area. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the ruins that are littered all over the city, including the necropolis that houses the sarcophagi of important ancient figures like Marcus Aurelius.

Visit Pamukkale and look forward to spending an entire magical day in the lap of natural luxury and public hospitality. The views are breath taking and cannot be found anywhere else on planet Earth.

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