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Andrys Basten | profile | all galleries >> TURKEY Photos - Anatolia, 2004, with Canon Elph >> Pamukkale photos ( Hierapolis ) tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Flying to Istanbul - First views and photos | Istanbul - Sultanahmet photos | Photos: Istanbul Archaeological Museums: Alexander the Great | Istanbul's Bosphorus Cruise photos | Ankara , its museum, and Aksaray - photos | Cappadocia Balloon Ride Photos | Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride VIDEOclips (Loud) | Cappadocia photos 2 | Cappadocia photos 3 | Photos: Goreme Open Air Museum frescos | Antakya and Mosaic Museum photos | Gaziantep photos, mosaics - Zeugma (Belkis) | Abraham's Pool & Harran - photos | Photos: Mt Nemrut heads, Perre-Perin, and Diyarbakir | Photos: Akdamar Island, Lake Van | Ishak Pasha Sarayi photos | Photos: In search of Noah's Ark - Mt. Ararat | Erzurum photos | Ephesus photos | Ephesus Museum and Selcuk photos | Pergamon acropolis ( Pergamum photos ) | Pergamon Asclepion - Pergamum Aesklepion | Aphrodisias site and museum - photos | Pamukkale photos ( Hierapolis ) | Dalyan photos - Turkey | Dalyan to Kaunos boat - photos | Lycian Telmessos | Kalkan - Kas photos | Photos: Kekova - Simena by Boat | Photos: St. Nicholas church and Old St. Nick origin | Myra, Antalya, Aspendos - photos | The Love Boat (Intro)

Pamukkale photos ( Hierapolis )

Photos of Pamukkale's rather beautiful terraced calcium pools, sometimes called calcium terraces or travertines, which are seen next to ancient Hierapolis.
  Pamukkale means cotton castle, and is from "pamuk" for cotton and "kale" for castle, referring to the large white cliff of Pamukkale (often misspelled as Pammukale).

  For centuries, the thermal waters have been considered therapeutic, and people flock there to immerse themselves, only to find this is likely mainly in the hotel emulations, which receive the calcium hot spring waters, so SOME have said there is little left at Pamukkale proper.  However, that's not so, per the note below from Karyn.   More useful info on the area to follow someday.



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Our first view of Pamukkale and its white cotton cliff
Our first view of Pamukkale and its "white cotton" cliff		 The whitish cliff seemed out of place, as nothing else there looks like it.
The whitish cliff seemed out of place, as nothing else there looks like it.		 Our hotel's own warm calcium terrace-pools, water transported from the mountain. Decadent :-)
Our hotel's own warm calcium terrace-pools, water transported from the mountain. Decadent :-)		 Along with the hotel's alternative normal pool
Along with the hotel's alternative normal pool
Amazingly good all-you-can-eat buffet dinner at Pam Hotel
Amazingly good all-you-can-eat buffet dinner at Pam Hotel		 The hotel pool later that night
The hotel pool later that night		 Going up to Pamukkale the next day. Note dried-up pools, a problem today.
Going up to Pamukkale the next day. Note dried-up pools, a problem today.		 Mostly European tourists there, walking toward calcium terraces, staglatites visible here
Mostly European tourists there, walking toward calcium terraces, staglatites visible here
Looking down on the town below
Looking down on the town below		 My first view (in the distance) of calcium pools not dried up yet
My first view (in the distance) of calcium pools not dried up yet		 And the terraces there look manufactured.
The terraces they're walking past no longer hold much water (drained away to hotels).

And the terraces there look manufactured.

 And here were the ones nearby.
And here were the ones nearby.
That's the actual color of these strange pools.
That's the actual color of these strange pools.		 u5%2fandrys%2fsmall%2f37063967.mImg_3610.jpg But we're not allowed to wade in these. Gorgeous coloring doesn't seem real, even when there.
But we're not allowed to wade in these.
Gorgeous coloring doesn't seem real, even when there.		 The light was nice on the benches across the way.
The light was nice on the benches across the way.
Per DK books, this may have been part of the Temple of Apollo.
This is an odd place - a very clear pool over stones and
columns from an ancient building...now in a cafe area.

Per DK books, this may have been part of the Temple of Apollo.

 Entering Hierapolis.  I wondered howit might have felt centuries ago to see the building (in better state).
Entering Hierapolis.  I wondered how
it might have felt centuries ago to see the building (in better state).		 The old Byzantine Gate of Hierapolis.
The old Byzantine Gate of Hierapolis.

post a comment
charles 31-Jul-2008 04:29
been there few years ago. but it was in winter. very cold and rainning day. nothing much that we can see and experience.
Iqbal 16-Mar-2008 07:52
simply great
shaun 08-Jan-2008 05:17
been to pammukkale went in the pools they stopped people going in them to let them get back to there normal colour but spectacular
Mike 10-Dec-2007 22:35
This is a wonderful stop for the photographer. Once you've viewed the calcium hot springs, there is a +/- 1 mile walk past the Necropolis, thousands of tombs and sarcophogi, on the way to the back bus parking lot. A truly remarkable site.
Andrys Basten 04-Jul-2007 09:10
I hope someone from there sees your question. We flew from Erzurum to Izmir VIA
Istanbul, so it's probably a good distance to drive.
From Izmir we drove to Ephesus and later to Pamukkale. FODOR or Rick Steve's forums
would probably be best place to find out actual driving times from Istanbul or Antalya.

Guest 04-Jul-2007 08:39
can somebody please tell us how long will it take to to travel to pamukkale from istanbul or antalya?
Cathy Trent 12-Sep-2006 12:39
Thank You! Absolutely breathtaking!
Andrys Basten 06-Sep-2006 02:53
Karyn,
Thanks very much for this excellent information. Very appreciated !

I did write Shannon privately to say it's certainly worth a visit, but forgot to make a
note here.

Karyn - a Pamukkale resident 06-Sep-2006 02:13
Just a bit of background info on Pamukkale - the hotels now days don't actually steal the Pamukkale water - there is an irrigation system in place now to stop algy from growing, hence there being some pools dry on some days. The system then changes every day so some pools have water, while others dry out to prevent algy (a legacy of the previous use, abuse and pollution of the area) from forming. As the water source is subterranean, it will always be present, so the excess that is not used on the travertines is allowed to run naturally downhill down into the villiage, where it is diverted into hotel swimming pools when needed and also used in agriculture further down in the valley. There is a big sign up on the ridge near the travertines explaining this - but unfortunately it's only in Turkish. Great photos here - and to all the people who see these and are tempted to travel here to see the 'cotton castle' - do it! there's all this and much more to see in the area.
Shannon 25-Aug-2006 03:42
I would like to know if the photographer would recommend this location for a vacation spot.... some of the comments seemed like they are taking the water away, etc... It would be a big trip for us, and would hate to be disappointed. The photos are outstanding.
zoe lewellyn 21-Sep-2005 06:51
hello, i find that the pictures are really cool but when i came onto the site i was looking for staglatites and stalagmites
Birsen 09-Sep-2005 11:15
How beautiful these photos are. Very impressive. After seeing these photos , I am tempted to see these places again, from where I have wonderful memories .
Cappadocia seems so unreal again and again. and so does Hierapolis and the rest of my country...Thank you so much .

Birsen Demirci
Dennis 19-Feb-2005 07:31
The photographs of the Pamukkale Terraces are the best I have ever seen. The angles and composition is great. I just stumbled across this site while surfing photos and it is wonderful. Cappadocia is grand as well. Dennis
Guest 24-Jan-2005 23:56
Thank you for your work and the useful advice about the hotels having the water.

Mary Saunders
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