Strangest Mysteries of the World and Beyond !

Pamukkale

Pamukkale:

Ever been to the ‘Cotton Castle’? 

Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year.

According to the legend that spread the mystery of Hierapolis to the wide world, an ugly shepherd girl, fed up with the burdens of life, cast herself into water, but turned into a beautiful maiden in the waters of Hierapolis.

Hierapolis was founded during the Phrygian era, and its name was derived from Hiera, the beautiful wife of Telephos, the King of Pergamon. Hierapolis played an important role in spreading Christianity in Asia Minor, and it was the place where Phillip, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, died. For this reason, Hierapolis became an important religious centre in the 4th century AD. Later it assumed the title of the Guide of the East and saw its most brilliant years between 96 and 162 AD. Hierapolis came under Byzantine rule in 395, and became a metropolitan bishopric.

History and nature meets in an extraordinary manner at Pamukkale. (Check the photograph on your right. Truly, Beautiful!)

The Pamukkale travertine was created by thermal water depositing the calcium carbonate it contained. The natural wonder of Pamukkale travertine deposits span a 160 meters tall and 2700 meters long cascade. With its brilliant white color, it can be seen about a distance of 20 km. At Pamukkale there are 17 thermal springs with water temperatures between 35-100-C.

The thermal mineral water springs and exceptional scenery have impressed people since antiquity. Wealthy people came from Rome and other cities of Anatolia to spend their last years in Hierapolis. Because of this, the Necropolis (the grave yard) is full of monumental tombs decorated in the styles of different regions.

The white surroundings just lends an aura of exquisiteness to the area.