The ancient city of Hierapolis otherwise known as ‘sacred city’ was a spa city built by the Romans. It was built around the world-famous warm-water spring, known as Pamukkale (in Turkish, ‘cotton castle’).
The town is located 18 kilometers north of Denizli in the southwest of Turkey. The town of Pamukkale is now the town center for tourism around both the natural springs and the ancient ruins of Hierapolis.
Pamukkale is often considered the eighth wonder of the world and has also been a world heritage site since 1988.
One of the main reasons for this is that the area is free of modern-day buildings. Some of the buildings in Hierapolis are being used again today as a theater since this site was put on the list. Locals have taken great pride in this area and have stopped people from walking on the travertines in shoes. So, be prepared to be barefoot! You have to keep to the designated path so that the travertines are not damaged. There are still many archaeological digs taking place in this area, and many more buildings and sites are being discovered.
In recent years Pamukkale has become a huge tourist attraction. There are lots of hotels and small bed and breakfast places situated in the village of Pamukkale. There are also some nice restaurants in the town, so arrive the day before and take a wander around the town, spent the night, set your alarm clock early and visit the site as soon as it opens in the morning. The day trippers usually arrive around lunchtime so any time before that you will find that you can walk around with a lot more freedom and have a dip in the pools with a lot less people.
1. Walk up Pamukkale Plateau
Pamukkale Plateau is where the travertines have formed. There are three different entrances to the plateau. Please note that walking in this area can be difficult for small children or people not so steady on their feet; there is no railing or steps. This is an archaeological site so the paths can be uneven and a little rocky.
To get to the plateau, you can enter through the town entrance and walk up to the plateau, shoes off of course to avoid damaging the travertines! It is about a 20 to 30 minutes’ walk. You can park your car in the town.
The other two entrances have a car parking area with a fee. The north entrance is the best entrance to get to the plateau and the other attractions. You can park your car then either take a shuttle bus or walk the 20 or 30 minutes to the attractions. The south entrance is not the best. You can park your car in the large car park but then you have to walk for 30 minutes under the hot sun.
2. Soak like royalty in Cleopatra’s Pool
The place where everyone wants to go is the Antique Pool, also known as Cleopatra’s Pool. This is the prime bathing spot and one of the best things to do in Pamukkale! This pool is situated between the ruins, which were the columns of the Temple of Apollo. The last entrance is at 6:15 pm, so don’t be late!
This is the cleanest pool you have ever been in, as it is constantly refreshed with water from the hot spring. Surrounded by pines trees and ancient columns, you could almost think you have traveled back to the Roman times.
Don’t worry if the pool looks a little muddy at times, this is due to the volume of foot traffic in the pool. As it is a hot spring, the water is pleasant and warm.
There are shallow ends for kids and deeper parts for adults, but nowhere ist so deep that you can’t stand up in the water.
There is a fee for this pool for around 50 Turkish lira for adults (about $8 USD) and 13 lira ($2 USD) for children aged between 6 and 12. Please note that the pool is not open all year round. Swimming is only allowed between the middle of April until the start of October.
One thing to remember is a towel! They are not supplied; you can buy one there, though! There are changing rooms and lockers for your belongings. Note that you are only supposed to stay in the pool for two hours, but no one really checks or enforces this.
3. Marvel at the ancient theater of Hierapolis
One of the main attractions of this area is the Hierapolis theater which is in incredible shape. You can’t fail to miss this!
You need to walk up a small hill to get to the entrance, but it is worth it. The entrance leads you to the highest part of the theater where you can look down onto the stage, which is still intact but with a little damage — but what do you expect after all these years!
The theater was built by the Romans, Hadrian (who also built a very famous wall in England) and Septimus Severus (Harry Potter fans, anyone?). This theatre could hold 15,000 people at one time; it has been well restored and is well worth a visit.
4. Visit the area surrounding the Theater
Unfortunately, not all of this area has survived the test of time. The Cathedral at Hierapolis has very little left. You need to use your imagination to imagine what it looked like. Not many visitors make this short walk on the Roman road to the remaining arch, but it still an important part of history.
Someone who visited this area but reportedly was not so lucky was St. Philip. He was supposedly martyred; it was said that he was hung upside down from a tree, after challenging the snake-worshippers at the nearby temple. His body was found buried about 40 meters away from the church, the Martyrium of St Philip the Apostle.
Tours don’t really visit this area; you have to head uphill from the Roman theater, where you’ll find the Martyrium of St Philip the Apostle, which is a strange octagonal shape. As well as this great ruin, you also have some of the best views of Hierapolis from this site
5. Visit the Hierapolis Archaeological Museum
The Hierapolis Archaeological Museum is housed inside the ancient Roman Baths. With many artifacts from ancient times remaining, it is an interesting place to visit. There are many items found from the local digs, which include lamps, coins, jewelry and stamp seals. Walk around and remember to look up at the great ceilings, where a large sphinx guards one of the rooms.
You can smell the ancient history as you walk around. Rest assured that this museum will have new items every year, as it moves in relics that have been discovered at the dig sites. Remember to visit the beautiful garden, also located in the museum.
The museum is located in Sümer area of the town very close to the natural park and the amphitheater. Open all year round, the museum is open later in the summer months. There is a very small entrance fee of around 10 Turkish lira, less than $2 USD.