Cotton castle is what Pamukkale means in Turkish.
Velvet white rocks with magically healing hot water springs are how locals refer to it.
It sounds more like a fairy tale than a real place. It is real, my friends.
In this blog, I am only going to focus on the dazzling white travertine pools. There is also plenty of history here, but I was astonished and impressed by the travertine pools. These natural velvet-like white rock pools were created by calcium deposits coming from the area’s hot springs. These deposits grew on the steep slopes of Pamukkale the same way stalactites formed inside of caves. This mineral has fanned out into pools famous worldwide for its healing properties for thousands of years. The Turks say that bathing in the pools will cure illnesses such as nutritional and chronic disorders, digestive and circulatory problems, eye and skin diseases, etc. Because of this, Pamukkale has been a flourishing spa resort since ancient times. Even Cleopatra bathed in the healing pools.
To reach these pools, you’ll have to walk barefoot to not to damage the travertine. It can be tricky to sensitive feet. You will need to walk from the bottom entrance of the site to the top part where these small natural baths are located. The river streaming down the hill and the pools closer to the top are the hottest, while those closer to the bottom of the site can be lukewarm to downright cold water.
There is a legend that nobody wanted to be around a young girl who lived in a small village near Pamukkale because she was so ugly. She became so desperate and lonely that she felt suicidal. She jumped off the highest cascade, but instead of being crushed to death, she fell in one of the water pools. The legend goes the magical powers of the water washed away her grief and worries when she became a beautiful girl. When she got out of the pool, she met the lord of Denizli, and he was so mesmerized by her beauty that he fell in love with her and asked her to marry him. They lived happily ever after. So the legend goes….
Bring a bathing suit to Pamukkale so you can enjoy the healing waters. I brought a small towel to dry off; it is most needed during a cloudy day. Another thing I would recommend is to bring a good pair of sunglasses. The white limestone is so bright that during the day, the glare is unbearable to your eyes.
Pamukkale is tucked away in the hills of the Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. Pammukale is 19 km from the city of Denizli; it is in Turkey’s Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, and the site has a pleasant temperature for most of the year. Turkey is a vast country, and most people visiting the country don’t make it to the hot pools of Pamukkale since it’s located quite far from the country’s capital. I recommend you take a quick flight to Denizli to experience this remarkable wonder.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article, and it excited you to come to Pammukale. Do you plan to visit Pamukkale soon?