_:nced4305e6ff44c77adb1f7d18991b4abxb0
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"In Turkish, Pamukkale, meaning &quot;cotton castle&quot;, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey.nThe area is famous for a carbonate mineral left by the flowing of thermal spring water.nnIt is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year.nThe ancient Greek city of Hierapolis was built on top of the travertine formation, which is in total about 2,700 meters (8,860 ft) long, 600 m (1,970 ft) wide, and 160 m (525 ft) high.nnIt can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in Denizli, 20 km away.nKnown as Pamukkale (Cotton Castle) or ancient Hierapolis (Holy City), this area has been drawing visitors to its thermal springs since Classical antiquity.nnThe Turkish name refers to the surface of the shimmering, snow-white limestone, shaped over millennia by calcite-rich springs.nDripping slowly down the mountain side, mineral-rich waters collect in and cascade down the mineral terraces into lakes below.nnLegend has it that the formations are solidified cotton (the area's principal crop) that giants left to dry.nPeople have visited the area for thousands of years due to the attraction of the thermal pools.nnAs recently as the mid-20th century, hotels were built over the ruins of Hierapolis, causing considerable destruction.nAn approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motorbikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes.nnWhen the area was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the hotels were demolished and the road removed and replaced with artificial pools.nThere are well-preserved Roman ruins and a museum on site.nnA small footpath runs up the mountain face for visitors to use. However, the travertine terraces are all off-limits, having suffered damage, erosion, and water pollution due to tourism.nIt was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 with Hierapolis.nn&lt;h2&gt;Geology&lt;/h2&gt;nPamukkale's terraces are made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by mineral water from the hot springs.nIn this area, there are 17 hot springs with temperatures ranging from 35 u00b0C (95 u00b0F) to 100 u00b0C (212 u00b0F).nnThe water that emerges from the spring is transported 320 meters (1,050 ft) to the head of the travertine terraces and deposits calcium carbonate on sections 60 to 70 meters (200 to 230 ft) long, covering an expanse of 24 meters (79 ft) to 30 meters (98 ft).nnWhen the water, supersaturated with calcium carbonate, reaches the surface, carbon dioxide de-gasses it, and calcium carbonate is deposited.nThe water deposits calcium carbonate as a soft gel which eventually crystallizes into travertine.nn&lt;h2&gt;Archaeology&lt;/h2&gt;nThere are only a few historical facts known about the origin of the city.nNo traces of the presence of Hittites or Persians have been found.nThe Phrygians built a temple, probably in the first half of the 7th century BC.nnInitially used by the citizens of the nearby town of Laodicea, this temple would later form the center of Hierapolis.nHierapolis was founded as a thermal spa early in the 2nd century BC within the sphere of the Seleucid Empire.nnAntiochus the Great sent 2,000 Jewish families to Lydia and Phrygia from Babylon and Mesopotamia, later joined by Judea.nThe Jewish congregation grew in Hierapolis and has been estimated as high as 50,000 in 62 BC.nnHierapolis became a healing center where doctors used the thermal springs as a treatment for their patients.nThe city began minting bronze coins in the 2nd century BC.nnThese coins give the name Hieropolis.nIt continues unclear whether this name referred to the original temple (u1f31u03b5u03c1u03ccu03bd, hieron) or honored Hiera, the wife of Telephus, son of Heracles and the Mysian princess Auge, the supposed founder of Pergamon's Attalid dynasty.nnThis name eventually changed to Hierapolis (&quot;holy city&quot;).nIn 133 BC, when Attalus III died, he bequeathed his kingdom to Rome.nHierapolis thus became part of the Roman province of Asia.nIn AD 17, during the rule of the emperor Tiberius, a major earthquake destroyed the city.nnThrough the influence of the Christian apostle Paul, a church was founded here while he was at Ephesus.nThe Christian apostle Philip spent the last years of his life here.nnThe town's Martyrium was alleged to have been built upon the spot where Philip was crucified in AD 80. His daughters were also said to have acted as prophetesses in the region.nnDuring the 4th century, the Christians filled Pluto's Gate (a ploutonion) with stones, suggesting that Christianity had become the dominant religion and begun displacing other faiths in the area.nOriginally a see of Phrygia Pacatiana, the Byzantine emperor Justinian raised the bishop of Hierapolis to the rank of metropolitan in 531.nnThe Roman baths were transformed into a Christian basilica.nDuring the Byzantine period, the city continued to flourish and also remained an important center for Christianity.nnn&lt;h2&gt;Museum&lt;/h2&gt;nThe museum contains ancient artifacts from Hierapolis and Laodiceia, Colossae, Tripolis, Attuda, and other Lycos (u00c7u00fcru00fcksu) valley towns.nThe museum also has a section devoted to artifacts found at Beycesultan Hu00fcyu00fck that includes examples of Bronze Age craft.nnArtifacts from the Caria, Pisidia, and Lydia regions are also on display.nThe museum's exhibition space consists of three closed areas of the Hierapolis Bath and the open areas on the eastern side, which are known to have been used as the library and gymnasium.nThe artifacts in the open exhibition space are mostly marble and stone.nHierapolis is broken down into ruins.nnn&lt;h2&gt;World heritage site&lt;/h2&gt;nPamukkale is known as a World Heritage Site together with Hierapolis.nHierapolis-Pamukkale was made a World Heritage Site in 1988.nIt is a tourist attraction due to its status and its natural beauty.nnThe underground volcanic activity that causes the hot springs also forced carbon dioxide into a cave called the Plutonium, which here means &quot;place of the god Pluto&quot;.nThis cave was used for religious purposes by priests of Cybele, who found ways to appear immune to the suffocating gas.nn&lt;h2&gt;Protecting the thermal waters&lt;/h2&gt;nThe hotels built in the 1960s were demolished as they were draining the thermal waters into their swimming pools and caused damage to the terraces.nnThe water supply to the hotels is restricted to preserve the overall site and allow deposits to regenerate.nAccess to the terraces is not allowed, and visitors are asked to follow the pathway.nnn&lt;h2&gt;Sister cities&lt;/h2&gt;nThe city of Pamukkale has two sister cities:nnu2022 Eger, Hungarynu2022 Las Vegas, United States"
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