Pamukkale’s Thermal Pools

Travertine pools, filled with mineral rich water cascade down the mountain side. This brilliant natural marvel has been a draw for visitors since ancient times. Used as a health resort by the likes of Cleopatra, today it is an Instagram favourite. Come with us as we visit Pamukkale’s Thermal Pools and the ancient cities of Hierapolis and Laodicea.

Pamukkale Thermal Pools

Nicknamed ‘Cotton Castle’, Pamukkale’s white, travertine thermal pools cover the mountain in a blanket of white. These pools, filled with beautiful blue water, gave the mountain an even more magical appearance. At least that’s how they used to be seen. Today, the thermal pools of Pamukkale are dry, but this unique display of nature’s artwork is still an awe-inspiring vision.

Pamukkale
Pamukkale

The pools were formed centuries ago by underground thermal springs that escaped through fissures in this earthquake prone area. This process is still occurring, although on a much smaller level. The water is high in calcium, bicarbonate and other minerals. Once the water reaches the ground it cools and carbon dioxide is released. The result is a calcium carbonate precipitate and once that dries, it becomes travertine. In addition to fissures, earthquakes have caused the hill to be uneven, allowing the travertine to form pools in the flatter areas. The water slowly trickles down the hill making travertine pools at different levels, covering the slope in white. As long as the mineral-rich water flows, the travertine pools will grow.

Unfortunately for us, the travertine pools of Pamukkale were quite disappointing. Almost all of the pools are dry, leaving only stark white pools filled with clay. They are not as you see on social media or marketing brochures that show a mountain covered in turquoise pools rimmed by white edges. They were once like this but not any longer. We were told two stories for this lack of water. One is that the pools were purposely drained to allow the travertine to whiten. The second explanation is that because of the increasing water needs in the growing cities below, there is not enough water to fill the pools. Perhaps it’s a combination if the two. 

We began our exploration of Pamukkale from the lower gate at the bottom of the hill. After removing our shoes we walked up to the top passing a row of eight man-made pools. These pools are apparently the only pools that are always filled with water. They are also the only ones that you are allowed to enter. The man-made pools are unique and beautiful, but not as picturesque as we had hoped.

Man-Made Travertine Pools
Man-Made Travertine Pools
Pamukkale
Pamukkale

We read that Pamukkale is the most visited tourist site in all of Turkey. You can imagine then how many people are trying to get that perfect shot of the pools. The crazy thing though, is that since tour buses arrive at the upper gates, only the top few pools are busy. Only a few of the throngs of people made it down to the bottom 3 or 4 pools, so these are often empty. This Instagram hotspot had people dressed in all sorts of crazy outfits, making annoying poses and hogging the top pools. We couldn’t wait to get away from this busy part of the park.

Instagram Angel
Instagram Angel

Tip – These 8 pools are in the shade until noon so even though it is quieter first thing in the morning, the pictures won’t turn out because there’s not enough light.

As we walked up the hill beside the man-made pools we looked to the other side of the walkway where there are hundreds of white, travertine pools. Since they are all white, they’re not nearly as picturesque as we had hoped.

Sidewalks along the top of the hill allow you to look down on the mountain. From there we continued to see hundreds of these dry, white pools. Some were stark white, others had a layer of mud on the bottom. This scene does bring about a sense of awe though, at how spectacular nature’s designs can be.

Travertine Pools,
Travertine Pools,
Travertine Pools,
Travertine Pools,
Travertine Pools
Travertine Pools

After walking along the top for a while we were lucky enough to stumble on a small group of natural pools that were filled with water. No one else seemed to know about these pools and we had them almost all to ourselves. This small collection of pools finally gave us an idea of how spectacular this area must have been in the days of Cleopatra.

Travertine Pools
Travertine Pools

We returned to this spot at sunset where we were able to see what all of the hype was about. The white-rimmed pools, reflecting the orange setting sun, created a phenomenal view. If only the entire mountain was still this beautiful.

Pamukkale
Pamukkale
Sunset
Sunset
Sunset
Sunset
Sunset
Sunset

We can’t deny that Pamukkale is an unmatched natural beauty, but it is not as advertised.

Hierapolis

The Greeks soaked in the travertine pools as early as the 2nd century BCE. As the pools became more popular, the spa-resort city of Hierapolis was built on the flats above.

Today, most of the city is in ruins, but there are a few sites that make it worth exploring, beginning with the main entrance to the city. The 1st century triple-arched, travertine Domitian Gate would have given a stunning first impression. Named after the Emperor Domitian, the gate leads you to Frontinus Street which would have been one of the city’s main markets.

During his reign Emperor Domitian declared himself to be god so those that enter the gate had to pledge devotion to him.

Domitian Gate
Domitian Gate

In the middle of the city, the 3rd century Apollo Temple, was under renovation when we visited. It will likely be a gorgeous building when its completed. What is hiding beside the temple is more interesting anyway. The Plutonium, likely from the 2nd century BCE, is dedicated to the God Pluto who presides over the afterlife.

The Plutonium was built atop a cave that emits a suffocating CO2 gas, which they believed was sent by Pluto. It is thought that ancient rites, such as sacrificing bulls, were performed here. The animals were sent into the cave and suffocated to death from C02 poisoning. Strangely, eunuch priests were the only ones who weren’t affected by the noxious gas. Likely they learned that they could hold their breath while venturing inside and make it out alive. Because of their tricks, the eunuchs were held in high esteem and were considered to be Oracles.

Plutonium & Cave
Plutonium & Cave

Above the temple is the theatre. Having seen so many Greek and Roman theatres, such as Ephesus, we weren’t really sure we needed to see another, but we’re so glad we did. At the front of the 3rd century AD building are gorgeous marble columns and elegantly sculpted friezes. It has been restored, allowing us to get a better sense of its original beauty. This piece of art provides an incredible backdrop to the large theatre.

Theatre
Theatre
Theatre
Theatre

In the 5th century, the orchestra pit was lined with waterproof mortar. Pipes were added so the pit could be filled with water. This allowed for water themed performances and made us wonder if this was the inspiration for Cirque du Soleil’s show O.

In the 1st century citizens worshipped their Emperor as a god. At this time, St. Philip, one of the disciples, preached Christianity to the people. Because of this, Emperor Domitian had him crucified. There is a martyrium and tomb that may have been Philip’s, but much of it is in ruin. Over three hundred years later the city became Christian under the Byzantines.

At the far end of the city is a massive necropolis. The shear number of sarcophagi, tombs and tumuli (funery chambers) led researchers to believe that Pamukkale’s mineral pools were used for their healing properties. They believe that many people came to cure their various illnesses. Likely though most were not cured by the pools and instead died here. The necropolis covered a large area that extended all the way to the pools. We found one tomb inside a travertine pool.

There are so many sarcophagi here that some researches talk about the 4th and 5th centuries’ sarcophagi industry. Funny how we don’t tend to think about organized industries in these times.

Necropolis
Necropolis
Tombs
Tombs
Tomb and Pools
Tomb and Pools

Inside the museum there are a few examples of how elaborate these sarcophagi were.

Sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
Sarcophagus

Next to the museum is the information centre and Antique Pool apparently used by Cleopatra. Columns from the original bathhouse are still at the bottom of the pool and for a fee, you can swim over them. The pool was quite busy and since we had already swam over ruins in Kekova, we didn’t feel the need to do it here.

Pamukkale Town

At the base of the travertine pools is the small town of Pamukkale. Even though the pools were very busy, the town was quiet. It seems that most people take day tours and don’t stay locally.

From the edge of town you can see the tall white mountain hovering above a small duck pond. Running from it are canals lined with travertine. Further down, a man-made set of pools are on display. They are actually nicer than the man-made ones on the hill.

Pamukkale
Pamukkale
Pamukkale Town
Pamukkale Town
Pamukkale Town
Pamukkale Town

Laodicea

On the top of a hill on the other side of the valley from Pamukkale is another site with Greek and Roman ruins. From the tall columns of Laodicea we could see the white travertine-covered hill of Pamukkale in the distance.

Laodicea & Pamukkale
Laodicea & Pamukkale
Laodicea
Laodicea

The most interesting building in the ancient city is the Church of Laodicea. The floors of this large 4th century building are covered in gorgeous tile mosaics with images of old clerics and geometric designs.

Mosaic Floor
Mosaic Floor

Next door to the church are the remains of a temple. Above the columns, beautifully carved friezes provide great examples of the skill of the carvers.

At the back of the temple, a glass floor allows you to walk over one of the rooms. Although today the room is deep underground, it would not have been when it was built. Walking above it brings perspective to how much earth has covered these buildings over the centuries. It was an interesting way to view the ruins, but not easy to photograph.

Laodicea
Laodicea
Laodicea
Laodicea
Laodicea
Laodicea

Tips for Visiting Pamukkale

Loaded tour buses start arriving around 9 am and continue to arrive until 5 pm. They seem to stay at the top 2 or 3 pools and only visit a couple of archaeological sites so it wasn’t as bad as we expected.

Instead of taking a tour, consider staying in the small town of Pamukkale. There are several local hotels and restaurants within walking distance of the site.

Entrance Fee – Pamukkale/Hierapolis 700 TRY ($22.80 USD); Ladoacia 280 TRY ($9.20 USD), Combined ticket for all three was 850 TRY ($27.70 USD); Opening Hours – 6:30 am to 9pm

Tip – There are many different museum passes in Turkey that provide discounted fees for multiple sites in a short period of time. For us they often included sites we were not interested in seeing, so it was usually cheaper to buy individual tickets. You can find pricing on the government website here.

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To read more of our adventures from Turkey click here.

Coming Next – Izmir & Pergamon

For pictures from other blogs go to Gallery at monkeystale.ca

To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.

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107 comments

  • I had to do a double-take with the Plutonium. I checked the etymology of the radioactive chemical but could find no link to the earthly geological site–only to the Planet Pluto. Also, it’s interesting that there were Oracles who were not affiliated with Delphi. This part of the world is quite fascinating.

    Liked by 2 people

    • I think the planet was also named after the god, so in a round about way the chemical was too! There were other Oracles in Greek and Roman history, but none as famous as Delphi.

      Liked by 1 person

  • I still remember the first time I saw Pamukkale, Turkey’s famous white “cotton castle” in person – I was in awe of its collection of bright blue pools of water amongst a pristine, all-white landscape. I admit I’ve occasionally visited world-famous sites that were a tad… underwhelming. It’s not necessarily due to the site so much as to how I’ve built the experience up in my head. Sometimes after seeing hundreds of photos and videos of a destination, I unintentionally create these unrealistic expectations of what it will look like. Of course, I’m inevitably disappointed. I was worried that Pamukkale would be a victim of the images online. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Pamukkale in real life was everything I imagined and more. I completely understand why it’s Turkey’s most popular attraction.

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    • I’m so glad we found the small area of pools, and it was far enough away that no one else found it! Hierapolis is a great site, with different buildings and stories than the other ruins we’d been to. Thanks Lyssy, Maggie

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  • What a wonderful and incredibly historic place! Did you just walk around the pools or did you try to take a dip in the first ones? We just visited some unique geothermal pools on the Azores (Portuguese islands). Surprisingly (thankfully) we did not encounter throngs of tourists creating content for social media. Amazing how IG has changed the vibe of some places. Great post!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Thanks, we walked through the bottom few as well as the ones in town, but it’s only ankle deep water and not the environment to sit and have a soak. IG really has changed how many people visit some of these places and how they act. It’s too bad, but this is the new reality I guess. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Maggie

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  • That’s always a bummer when something is not as advertised. Having never seen it before, though, and having no expectations, I find your photos very pretty! It reminds me a bit of parts of Yellowstone. Plus, it looks like all those ruins make Pamukkale worth the stop.

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  • Looks like they cleaned them up. They became very polluted not that long ago due to excessive tourism and were closed to visitors. We were lucky to visit before that time and were able to lie in the hot pools with very few people around. And there was no entrance fee!

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  • Instagram has a lot to answer for! This reminds me of the crowds we saw queuing to take selfies in front of the ‘Tomb Raider tree’ at Angkor Thom when there were loads of very similar, and just as photogenic, trees a few metres into the site and nobody near them! It pays to take your time and watch where the Insta crowds don’t bother to go! A shame though that the pools even then didn’t quite live up to your expectations.

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  • Hello. Good article. It got me thinking: I think that many ancient cultures weren’t all that different from ours. It’s electricity that made possible the “modern” world. But nobody had electricity till the late 1800s.

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    • Good point, they were able to build amazing architecture, soak in hot tubs, go to the theatre and watch sports in arenas. And all without electricity. It’s quite impressive to see what they built in ancient times. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Maggie

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  • I remember visiting Lower Antelope Canyon hoping for a serene walk through a smooth gold sandstone slot canyon with shafts of sunlight highlighting the curves and layers like the pictures I had seen. Instead we were hustled through in groups of ten about a minute apart by a guide who clearly didn’t want to be there with no stopping allowed and hardly a chance to get a picture without anybody else in it! Making money was the name of the game sadly

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  • Thank you for the incredible journey to these historic sites. Pamukkale looks amazing despite the change in water levels, the few pools that you did find looked like something out of a movie…pretty cool. I see that taking photos dressed in angel wings at Pamukkale as an Instagram shoot is a thing. There seem to be quite a few images of that kind floating around on the Internet…fascinating!
    The remains of the church in Laodicea are amazing.. the columns and sculptures on the tombs are so intricate. I agree the carvers had some spectacular skillsets. Great sharing as always. I enjoyed the duck pond too!!

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  • Your sunset photos are particularly beautiful. It’s unfortunate that it’s now not as advertised. I visited before issues came up that closed the pools – far too many people, for one. The ruins in that area are interesting, however. Great post.

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  • Turkey just keeps on giving, doesn’t it? That landscape is surreal, even if it doesn’t sparkle with water as it once did. You found a way though, Maggie, and I applaud you for that. Those sunset shots are magical, and Hierapolis looks a magnificent site.

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  • I’m travelling virtually with you (and finding it remarkably easy) and was not disappointed in Pamukkale, having never known of its existence, but I felt your disappointment. Your photos are beautiful and I’m glad you captured the pools that you did. No one swims in them? The artwork is marvellous once more – forgive me for any lapse of memory, but you haven’t seen much Turkish designs in recent posts/towns? My history is pretty limited so I’m assuming the Romans dominated that aspect?

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    • The eastern side of Turkey has more of what we think of as Turkish, but we actually didn’t find as much of that as we thought. There are a lot of Greek/Roman/Byzantine influences in this western area. You’ll maybe see a bit more in the next city, Izmir. And no one baths in the pools, the water is only ankle deep.

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  • I’m so glad I visited when insta-tourism was just beginning. It was annoying already, but not as much as it would be today. Interestingly, we had Hierapoilis almost completely to ourselves.

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    • There weren’t many people in Hierapolis, just at the theatre and Cleopatra’s Pool! And the only at the top of Pamukkale. So we did have the rest to explore on our own. But there were hundreds clumped together in those spots. Here and Ephesus were very busy but there weren’t many tourists in the rest of Turkey. Thanks for following along, Maggie

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  • We seem to have had very different experiences here, Maggie. We too stayed in Pamukkale and also visited these places, and visited the town of Denizli and the site of Aphrodisia. But the cotton castle was again like Ephesus pretty much deserted (as it was COVID times) and there were no coach parties. We walked from town and climbed from foot to top so were free to explore the travertine areas and Hierapolis – and were able to bathe in the pools and lay in the cascading streams. It sounds as if there was considerably less water present when you were there – I wonder if there has been significant change in those few years or maybe it changes seasonally? We felt very sorry for the traders in Pamukkale, they were pretty desperate during COVID with so few visitors.

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    • We were told there hasn’t been water for a couple of years, so I’m not sure how long its been that dry. To add to it the prices had just gone up dramatically.The town itself was quiet too, and we also felt bad for the shops and restaurants, since the thousands of people who came didn’t stop. It was good, but not as great as many other places we visited in Turkey. Can’t win them all 😊

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  • Instagram Angel: almost as shallow as the pools themselves! (Sorry – don’t get me started on Instagrammers. They make me crazy.)
    Beautiful ruins and such interesting stories. Oh, those poor sacrificed bulls!

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  • Sorry to hear that the thermal pools were a bit of a let down. I never understood those people who just care about taking selfies of themselves rather than the landscape. Don’t even get me started on the people that dress up in crazy outfits. I’d be annoyed too. Glad you found some pools that were filled with water and were super secret so you had them all to yourselves.

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  • Fascinating place. I cannot believe the Instagrammers of the travertine pools. Whilst I do love a bit of an Insta shot, the thought of going to this length and dressing up and getting in people’s way – absolutely ridiculous. I remember going on a walk in The Cotswolds here in the UK and crossing a famous insta spot in my hiking gear….there was a queue to get over the bridge of around 25 women in dresses. I had to queue to finish my hike. World’s gone mad.

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  • Your pictures of the pools are stunning. But the people there would irritate me. While I can understand wanting to take a picture there- I don’t understand doing at the expense of other’s enjoyment of it. The whole want to be Instagram influencer thing has gotten crazy!

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  • I have to say I’m more interested in seeing Hierapolis and Laodicea than the travertine pools themselves, arguable the main tourist draw to the area. The story of the Plutonium is fascinating, and I really like those spiraling patterns on some pillars in Laodicea.

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    • The pools were quite disappointing but the two ancient sites were interesting. They have different structures than we’d seen before, especially the Plutonion. And yes the pillars in Laodicea were very unique and pretty. Thanks Bama! Maggie

      Liked by 1 person

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  • The travertine pools at sunset are enchanting. Despite the annoying crowds of Insta influencers (I surely have no space for a pair of wings in my luggage), I’d like to visit Pamukkale some day, and then continue on to Hierapolis and Laodicea. Fascinating story about the cave under the Plutonium and its ritual use.

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    • If you go with the right expectations, it will be much better. And who knows maybe in a couple of years they will let the water flow again. The two ancient cities were worth it. I guess if you don’t understand physiology, the only other explanation for the deaths was Pluto 😊

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  • What beautiful sights and photos Maggie. I thought the dry Travertine pools were stunning, especially with the waterfall effects now calcified minerals. The ruins look so well preserved.

    Katelon

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  • I completely agree – Pamukkale is not as advertised. I was so disappointed. I too returned at sunset, and did get some nice sunset shots, but there were no pools with water. Your sunset shots are wonderful, and I’m glad you at least got to see some terraces with water. I just about killed myself that day walking up from the town twice and back and forth looking for terraces with water. So frustrating. We did swim in the Cleopatra pools, and also went to Kaklik caves which were quite wonderful – travertine terraces but underground.
    Alison

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    • We walked around a lot to find these few pools, funny that no one else did. We shared it with only one lady. We’re so glad we found them, sorry there weren’t any when you were there. Maybe we should have gone to the caves but we were not interested in wasting more time and money after the pool disappointment. I guess not everywhere can be perfect. Maggie

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  • We visited Pamukkale in 1989 and it was as advertised in the brochures. The pools were filled with natural springs – beautiful turquoise water. At that time, tourism was new to Turkey so all of the sites were fairly pristine and undeveloped.

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    • So jealous! But they’re still using those 1980s pictures. ☹️ If we hadn’t expected it to be filled with water we may have been able to enjoy it more. But atheist we found a few that were filled, and no one else was there. Thanks for sharing your experience. Maggie

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  • A quick explanation. I am currently away and in a city with fast internet speed. At home it is difficult to see any of your amazing photographs. My rural location doesn’t allow the photographs to upload and I can wait 15 plus minutes with still no joy. So I do take the opportunity to look at your posts properly when I am away from time to time. I do read your words when home, but can’t appreciate the whole of your wonderful blogs. Fascinating posts when you see your fantastic descriptions alongside your very well taken imagery. Cheers and all the best.

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    • Oh I’m sorry that you can’t upload the pictures at home. I know we put a lot on each blog. Thanks so much for having a look when you’re away, I really appreciate it! Maggie

      Liked by 1 person

      • It is great to catch up on your posts when I can. I do read the information, but of course no photographs is not ideal for your fantastic full blog content. We do have consistent ‘weak signal’ on settings. Thank you for replying. All the best.

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