Turkiye 2023: Pamukkale Thermal Pools & Hierapolis

On day 9 we finally got to one of the two places I was very excited to see in Turkiye - the Pamukkale thermal pools. It was a 4-hr drive from Izmir with a brief potty break midway.

Here is the information I got from the world wide web, since you know now that I don't listen to the tour guide/manager, "The Pamukkale terraces formed when hot spring water, rich in dissolved calcium carbonate, flowed down a cliffside, cooled, and deposited the calcium carbonate as it de-gassed carbon dioxide, creating a series of white travertine terraces over time; essentially, the cascading water left behind mineral deposits that built up into the distinctive terrace formations we see today." Travertines or sedimentary rocks are created when precipitated calcium carbonate forms a soft gel that eventually hardens. The thermal pools have been called Cotton Castle, or Pamukkale in Turkish.

Hierapolis became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. The ruins (including the Necropolis) and Pamukkale comprise Hierapolis.

There's a boardwalk leading to the thermal pools. No shoes allowed past the boardwalk.

Looks like snow from a distance.

Must be the lighting because the pools look white-washede on my images, whereas the ones I see online are very vibrant blues. No editing applied on my shots.

The water is warm, but not hot.

View from the thermal pools.

Next, we visited the ruins and the the Necropolis.

The Necropolis is one of the most interesting parts of this tour of Hierapolis. The cemetery is huge and is considered one of the best preserved in the country. The tombs were built using local limestone, some were marble. It deserved more time for exploration than we gave it, but the sun was scorching hot that day, so we were all eager to get under the shade sooner.

My husband always had to get a better vantage point.

At the end of the tour, there was a kitty that welcomed pets from us.

This was another incredible day in Turkey. I was thoroughly satisfied with this trip; I got plenty more than what I expected.