Pammukale

Pammukale Sept 21


The name mean cotton castle.
10,000 years ago and hot spring was running over an area of land. The water temperature was 33C and as it washed over the land it cooled to 29C and that action turned the mineral in the water into calcium carbonate. That mineral started to solidify and petrify and a hard, milk white substance covered the landscape.

It covers a vast area, twice as much as you can get in an overall photo.

In Roman times, because they loved their baths, they shaped some of the bathing pools and made areas for people to relax in.

The water was also thought to have medical properties and many came seeking healing.

In recent years the water has been diverted away from this incredible hillside of pools and is used in the town below and for watering fields, etc. Due to the lack of water now running over the hillside, the pools cannot be used by swimmers. The whiteness is turning yellow in some places, due to not enough water washing it clean. We were allowed to walk through some areas (shoes off) and that was great fun for me. I couldn't keep the smile off my face. Hundreds of people were there to enjoy what they could of the area. I'd go back to Turkey just to do this again.

There is a large necropolis (place of burial) nearby for all those who were never healed but died of their illness.

The place was full of tourists and locals alike. Jim counted 34 tour buses as we were leaving for the hotel – and that was late in the day.

To our surprise the backdrop of this gorgeous hillside is an ancient ruins. Many sights were available as we walked in but I was anxious to get my feet in the water so I didn't spend any time exploring that area. The Romans in particular had brought the place back to vitality.

It is now a Unesco site and I hope that they will somehow manage to bring the waters back where they belong and help find a different source of water for the farmers. I think it can be done.