The Hierapolis/Pamukkale site has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The description is the following: «Deriving from springs in a cliff almost 200 m high overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have created at Pamukkale (Cotton Palace) an unreal landscape, made up of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and a series of terraced basins. At the end of the 2nd century B.C. the dynasty of the Attalids, the kings of Pergamon, established the thermal spa of Hierapolis. The ruins of the baths, temples and other Greek monuments can be seen at the site.» Pamukkale, a spa since the Romans, is Turkey's foremost mineral-bath spa.
"PAMUKKALE TOWN - Numerous hotels, (some with their own warm mineral water pools), restaurants, shops and ticket offices..."
"TOURIST LINE - The «castle», about 2,700m long and 160m high, can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away"
"DRY TERRACES - It seems that tourist pressure has some responsibility on the way terraces are changing in the Pamukkale area"
"TRAVERTINE - Pamukkale's terraces are made of travertine, a terrestrial sedimentary rock, formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals from geothermal hot-springs. They are similar to Mammoth Hot Springs
"NO SHOES - It is estimated that 43,191 grams of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) are deposited daily in the Pamukkale site"
"COTTON WALL"
"CONTRASTS - - The water flows down the hill at 35º degrees Celsius
"POOL"
"SLIPPERY"
"LAST SECTION"
"TURQUOISE"
"LAST POOL"
"DOWN THE HILL"
"GREAT WALL"
"REFLECTIONS"
"SAFE AND SOUND - With shoes!"
Pietro created a wonderful award and was kind enough to allow me to use it. I'm thrilled. Thanks Pietro!!
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53 comments:
Hi Everybody! Hierapolis was famous due to the nearby presence of the celebrated waters of Pamukkale. A spa since centuries ago, the “Cotton Palace” is a must see spot whenever one visits Turkey! Hope you enjoy and have an excellent week!!
wow!! Beautiful pictures Gil..and esp of you and your wife. Oh..I want to go there...I want to go every places that's listed on your blog...sigh...put me in your pocket..please :P Happy week ahead.
Sorry that I haven't visited your blog in awhile. I had pneumonia and am now able to roll but no place to roll too (tee hee). Kewelopolis shots of the spa and waters of Pamukkale in Turkey. I must put this on my "Bucket List."
Joyce
je ne connaissais pas, c'est vraiment surprenant ;)
This place looks out of the world! Fantastic! And many congratulations on the award!
Oh, what an awesome place!!
Hi Gil, you always are surprising me with your pics,wow! this time from the waters of Pamukkale .... with or without shoes...
It reminds me of the HOTSPRINGS in Sumatra we visited them a while ago, Does this spa also smells to rotten eggs? That (smelling-bad) part I did not like but its like a warm bath.
OKE when in Turkey I will visit the “Cotton Palace”, thanks for showing.I great place that might be ,I can see that.
Greetings from JoAnn/Holland
Watch my blog with this week some AMSTERDAM pics, Be welcome:)
Beautiful and lovely shots !! Nice post..Unseen Rajasthan
Nous avons quelque chose de similaire près de Grenoble en France, ce sont "Les fontaines pétrifiantes" et cela a été exploité en jardin. On peut constater que l'activité sismique est importante aussi à Grenoble de même qu'en Turquie. C'est d'une échelle très impressionnante ce que tu nous montres Gil, un vrai paysage lunaire, mais 43,191gr de CaCO3 / jour cela paraît si peu et pourtant cela est si puissant...
What a fascinating place. It must have been thrilling to be there.
Wow GMG. Such an amazing natural mineral baths spa. Gorgeous captures here! the sedimentary rocks looks like snow. How awesome.
Thank you so much for bringing me around.
I add as follower now so I would not miss the next adventure:).
Cheers. Have a great week.
You have a choice between salt, ice and limestone - and it's none of them.
Im back after a long break..and what a beautiful place..loved the pictures especially the rocks..looks definitely unreal
wow what a spa!
Wow, that looks phantastic, a fairy world in white. At first I thought it's salt. Great landscape. Have a nice week, Gil, and don't work too much ;-)
On s'attendrait à voir des skieurs et des surfeurs dévaler ces belles pentes "enneigées".
La saison de ski se profile à l'horizon.
Superbe endroit avec cette travertine.
Oh the places you and your wife go! The Cotton Palace is like nothing I've ever seen before~Fabulous. Than you for sharing all the photos.
Happy Week~
Constance
La photo "réflections" est superbe et cela me change de notre coton d'ici...qui supporte des chaleurs plus extrèmes...
very cool
This was a very interesting post. It's a definate must see someday.
Oh wow! Those are some scenic pictures...cotton walls, clear water..you looked like you had a great time!
Have a fabulous week ahead!
You are such a photogenic couple! Awesome pictures, the water is so blue and everything looked so pure and white. I'll have to add this to my list of places to see too!
Gil, this does look like Mammoth Springs in Yellowstone! It must not be as hot as Yellowstone's thermal waters, however, as its water would burn the skin.
I loved the photo of you and Mrs Blogtrotter! You both never age!
Really love the Cotton Wall :) Superb pics of a wondrous place.
Wow! what a lovely place. The pictures are so beautiful that I feel like visiting the place. Each and every picture is marvellous. I liked the first picture very much infact all are superb.
First time I heard of this impressive site... and, of course, you have been there! Thanks, now at least I'm aware of it! :-)
wow this is the first time I ever saw such beautiful and distinctive place liked this...
Enjoy your trip ^^
Thanks for your professional pictures too ^^
This place looks amazing and you and your honey look so fabulously happy together having fun. :) I love this post. thanks for sharing.
Hi Gil, I am back from NYC. The cotton walls are amazing...something I would love to see. ~ Lynn
What an adventure you had. I'll bet the night photography would be unbelievable.
The turquoise color of that basin is beautiful! Very impressive the whole place. Thanks for sharing, Gil!
And thank you also for your comments to my posts recently.
Susanne
Aw... Its a paradise... Amaing place...
Thanks for sharing dear.. :)
My Travelogue, Savoir-Faire
I'm sure this place was a wonder when it was originally created! Lovely pictures and thanks for sharing them!
Pixellicious Photos
Enjoyed Taurus and Cotton Palace posts. However this is the first time I cant seem to view/download all your pics hmm?? i've seen these mineral pools pics before when a friend went there many2 years ago. but back then i remembered there were many turqoise pools. still these are awesome. bet u had wonderful time. im turning green.
wow! this post was totally awesome. What a place this is!
Loved the turquoise pools and the cotton walls ofcourse. :)
This is a place I've dreamed of going.
Hi Gil,
Greetings from New York.;)
So did you take a dip in the waters there? Thanks for sharing your nice pictures of Pamukkale and Hierapolis, and also for recommending the Samaria Gorge, Crete.
That place looks positively unreal!
I never thought there would be such a place to visit as a picnic with so many others !
These places look good in photos.
Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic shots of the place. Hope to be there some day.
It's beautiful, it looks like salt but it's not, nice shots
Gil, I've never seen such a fantastic and unreal landscape. It reminds me (a bit) of a moon scenery (but on the moon the sky is completely black with the sun shining in it!). These photos are astonishing, the post (as all your posts) is so interesting.
Have a very nice weekend!
Thanks for the visit to my site. I've been away myself - nothing so luxurious as these mineral baths. I've again been following the footsteps of Andrew Wyeth.
absolutely gorgeous place! I added it on our must see list!
What a great adventure! I'd like to try this myself. 35 degrees C flowing water? Wow! Did you try to lick the "cotton wall"?
Gil, I'd love for you to visit my site. I know you may not be a litigation lawyer, but do you know if we have legal recourse against our contractor? And even if we do, can we get our money back from him? Please see post here.
Have a great weekend!
-Jen Laceda
the white color of the place gives it asurreal touch!!!
nice pics and you two look so lovely together in the last pic!!
Hi Everybody! This post gave me great pleasure. Not only to remember a wonderful place, but also because I believe the pictures came out rather well!! And I’m glad most of you enjoyed it a lot and reacted accordingly putting the location on your must see list… ;). Pamukkale is a true gem and absolutely worth to see, while it lasts… Actually I was a bit surprised that, with the exception of Leo - who had seen some pictures from friends -, nobody noticed that many of the previous turquoise pools are now dry; trying to show it, was the mission of the link I introduced into the post… ;). Anyhow, thanks for your comments and keep enjoying…
M.Kate,
Those two you see in the last picture have been travelling around for many years, but the picture they took at Mammoth Hot Springs (link on the post) had probably less fifty pounds on them… ;)). In my pocket there is already the usual «pocket sun» (I know it didn’t work in Iceland, ok…), but you’re always much welcome… ;))
Joyce,
Glad to hear that you fine now; you must take care of yourself… how the hell did you catch pneumonia? Now another point: you have to tell me what does Kewelopolis mean; an error on the Word processor and no other chance to find out… ;))
Olivier,
Encore beaucoup plus surprenant sur place, je te dis… Vraiment magnifique, même s’il faut faire attention pour ne pas tomber chaque fois qu’on se déplace dans la descente… ;))
Rakesh,
Out of the world it isn’t, but it’s extra-ordinary… ;)). Thanks for the congrats; Pietro is a kind blogger friend…
Susu,
I’m sure you would love it; and the site will look much better the time when you’ll visit it… ;))
xoxo
JoAnn,
With shoes it’s easier, but you are not allowed to damage the slopes… So, you have to walk down barefoot, and it’s quite slippery… ;)). There is no sulphur on this one, just calcium carbonate (CaCO3)… thus no rotten eggs smell for the visitors to enjoy… ;)). Don’t miss Pamukkale when in Turkey; it is a must see, no doubt…
I’ve checked your Amsterdam pictures… They are absolutely outstanding!!
Unseen,
Thanks for the kind words; it always a great pleasure to read your comments, knowing your fabulous work showing Unseen Rajasthan!!
Lucie,
J’ai dû être inattentif ou peut-être Michelin ne le marquait pas comme il faudrait, car je n’ai jamais entendu parler des «fontaines pétrifiantes»… Et j’ai été à Grenoble… ;)). Imagine 43 grammes pendant des milliers d’années ; ça fait un grand chiffre… ;)
Diane,
It was an amazing experience indeed; so many years after Mammoth Hot Springs, we came to a comparable site, but much more electrifying... ;))
Regina,
More than snow it looked like immaculate cotton, thus the name «Cotton Palace»; and it’s true that, except for the terrible heat we suffered (I don’t recommend making the visit by 2:00 p.m. in summer... ;)), we had a terrific experience!!
Thanks for having joined the followers’ group to this blog; hope to be able to continue to keep you interested!!
Hélène,
Neither salt, nor ice; not even limestone... A strange sedimentary rock named travertine... Odd indeed!!
Lakshmi,
Wow, it was a very long break and we missed you here!! Glad to read you back!!
Unreal is a good description of the situation... But it’s definitely worthwhile to make a detour and visit Pamukkale if and when in Turkey!!
Mariposa,
Two thousand years old spa; it surely has some «patine»... ;) Being such a beauty, no wonder the Romans developed the area... ;))
Ingrid,
A cotton fairy tale... Now tell me: what’s the secret to survive without having to work too much? ;))
Daniel,
Il semble que même sans skieurs et surfeurs, seulement avec des gens pieds-nus, le dommage dans les rochers est déjà considérable… J’ai mis une connexion sur le post pour qu’on puisse voir quelle était l’aspect il y a quelques années et vraiment la différence est impressionnante… ;)). La saison du ski, ça ne me dis pas beaucoup… ;))
Replies: Part Two, for the benefit of Blogger's restrictions!!
Constance,
That’s not so different from what you may see at the Yellowstone, on Mammoth Hot Springs; the difference here is that you’re still allowed to walk straight on the rocks and not only on the wooden man-made platforms...
My pleasure to share these photos with you all!!
Thérèse,
I was a bit far from the pond, so the reflection wasn’t so clear and complete as I wished; but it came out quite acceptable!! I’m not so sure about your cotton experiencing extreme heat; Pamukkale was certainly at 38º Celsius in September; can’t imagine August... Sorry for the reply in English, but I was on the way after Constance and only realized now I was doing it so... ;))
Piika,
Wow! Great to read you back here! Always a pleasure when you make your comments on Blogtrotter!
Ron,
I see that your must see list is growing; it’s time for you to start packing... ;)). But you’re right: Turkey has much to see...
Yvonne,
We surely had a great time!! Could you think it could be otherwise? ;))
Start packing and make a try...
Rhonda,
Wow! That’s a nice compliment!! Probably we wouldn’t be photogenic enough to be your models, but it’s glad to read it from such a good and talented eye!!! I’m thrilled... If I were you, I would start packing, because your list is going to grow immensely... ;)
Pat,
You’re absolutely right! And Mammoth Hot Springs was one of my most extraordinary experiences, long time ago in 1982... ;)). The temperature is around 35º Celsius perfectly acceptable; Yellowstone is probably much hotter...
You’re too kind; just have a look at our 1982 pictures and you’ll see easily almost fifty pounds on the top of us two… ;))
Keats,
Glad that you enjoyed! Pamukkale deserves the fame and the profit it has got during all these years!!
Babli,
It’s great that, at least for you, these posts achieve what they’re intended to: make you feel like you’re actually visiting the place!! And the places are usually wonderful and are owed the credit; not the pictures, that at the most are just acceptable...
Peter,
I’m surprised that you’re hearing about it for the first time; probably you have only forgotten it... ;) The place is amazing, as we can see from the pictures and it’s perfectly understandable that the Romans profited of the conditions to build a famous spa there!!
Galaxy,
This trip was made a year ago; I enjoyed while it lasted... and I’m enjoying again posting its pictures! :)
Jo,
It is true that we had a great time, notwithstanding the heat. We are happy together and happy to have made it under the sun and without having felt during the descent... What an achievement... ;))
Lynn,
New York again? Can’t believe: you’re driving me crazy... I’m green of envy... ;))
OK, I change my Pamukkale for your NYC!! ;)
Paula,
Thanks for your visit and first time comment at Blogtrotter!! Great pleasure to read you here!
One day I’ll see Pamukkale on a full moon night, but first I would love to see the Taj Mahal that way... ;)
Sue,
The blues and turquoise colours usually make great pictures, and it’s amazing the colours water may show...
My pleasure to comment on your wonderful blog!!
Mitr-Friend,
Paradise indeed! The problem is that there are so many on Earth that it isn’t easy to get to them all... ;)). It’s not such a small world!! My pleasure to share it with you all!!
Kcalpesh,
Nature probably took some millions of years to create this wonder, but men may damage it easily just in a few decades... It’s probably the destiny of our Planet, but there are some measures that can be taken to prevent disgrace...
My pleasure to show it for you to enjoy!!
Neelima,
Those turquoise pools are loved by everyone... ;). Therefore, you’re no exception, but I’m glad you joined the group... ;))
Part Three and last, though still waiting for some late comers on this comment box!!
Leo,
Welcome back!! I don’t know the reason why you shouldn’t be able to see all the pictures; didn’t notice any difficult here and no one else complained; probably just a temporary bad connection!! I put a link on the post to Wikipedia where you have a picture with much more pools; it seems they started building hotels all around the site and deviating water to private pools and the result was the drying of many of the previous pools; at least this was the explanation of our Turkish guide...
Mark,
Easy way: start packing!!
Celine,
I can’t believe you’re in New York... It seems that everybody (you, Lynn, Olivier...) made a complot just to turn me green of envy... At least bring me a true New York cheesecake; it can be from Eileen’s... ;))
No dip, but the place is awesome!! Samaria would be perfect for you; the long journey, not the short... ;))
Tinsie,
«Unreal» is perfect!!
Nisha,
Where did you find the picnic? There are many others visiting... I tell you: the place is much more beautiful life than in pictures... ;))
Indrani,
Easy task: just start packing and head to either Antalya or Izmir. You’ll be only some 250km far from Pamukkale... ;)
Dick,
It isn’t salt though it looks like... Like the old saying: «not everything that shines is gold...»!
Pietro,
If I remember well my old 1966 impressions of Neil Armstrong on moon, it doesn’t look like this... ;)) Pamukkale looks much nicer and much more convenient to get there... ;)
Thanks for the compliments. You’re always too kind!!
Ted,
I wouldn’t agree that this is so luxurious... ;) And Andrew Wyeth footsteps are surely as interesting, to say the least!
Lara,
Your list is growing, I see... ;)
Jen,
No lick on «cotton wall»... ;)
The problem on the advice is not the question of being a litigation lawyer or not; is that you need to know the contract and – paramount – the law that governs it, presumably Canadian Law. This means you definitely need a good Canadian lawyer to deal with the subject. In general terms, if things are like you tell, it seems that there is ground to get an indemnity for no fulfilment of the contract and for the damages caused, but that’s something that only a Canadian lawyer having assessed the case can tell you...
Shooting Star,
Surreal it is! And as for the lovely pair, they don’t «look» lovely; actually they are!! ;))
Wow, this is amazing. So the white surface is not salt (CaCl) but some kind of salt stones (CaCO3)? How interesting!
FYI, I'm heading to Mumbai, India for a wedding in December. Then I'm going to do a little sightseeing in Udaipur, Jaipur, Agra and New Delhi.
Ming,
Pamukkale is gorgeous; not salt, some travertine...
That's a fabulous itinerary; I haven't made neither Mumbai nor Udaipur, but the rest is fabulous. Enjoy!!
Superb shots!
:)
Bindhu,
Thanks for your visit and first time comment here; I'm delighted!!
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