Arriving at Pamukkale in the morning, the first thing that caught our attention was the dazzling sweep of white, rising from the plain like a tiered amphitheatre. The travertine terraces—created over thousands of years by mineral-laden hot springs—shone in the sunlight. After having lunch and chilling by at the hotel pool with the rest of the tour group, we made our way up to the terraces at dusk.
How Water Built a “Castle”
We learned from our guide that each terrace is a natural bowl of travertine, a limestone deposited when hot, calcium-carbonate spring water loses carbon dioxide and solidifies. Over millennia the process stacked basin upon basin, producing a 200-metre cliff that gleams as if it has never known a footprint.
UNESCO recognised both the geology and the adjacent Greco-Roman spa of Hierapolis in 1988, ensuring stricter water-flow management so the terraces retain their snowy coat.
Ruins with Stories in Stone
At the hilltop the ground levels into the ruins of Hierapolis, founded by the Attalid kings in the second century BCE.
The theatre dominates the skyline. We hiked up to the top an watched the sunset.
The city sits atop the Pamukkale fault zone—a geologically active area responsible for both the mineral-rich hot springs and the site’s seismic instability. Major earthquakes are recorded in 17 CE under Tiberius and again, even more devastatingly, in 60 CE under Nero. The city was rebuilt with Roman imperial funds, but the threat of further destruction always loomed. Additional earthquakes in the 14th and 17th centuries CE led to significant structural collapse and abandonment by the surviving population.
Within the ruins, stray animals call it home. Among the stray cats and dogs, a turtle stands out, a pet-trade species now ranked among the world’s most invasive reptiles.
The Myth of Cerberus
South-east of the stage lies the Ploutonion, once famed as “Pluto’s Gate”. Ancient writers described sacrificial bulls collapsing here while priests emerged unharmed. Modern gas probes explain the trick: a fissure still vents carbon dioxide strong enough to reach lethal concentrations near the ground.
From the viewing deck we could see the statue of Pluto and Cerberus guarding the gate to hell.
The Bare-Foot Gauntlet
The guide offered us two options to go back into town: 1) to take the bus back, or 2) walk down the terrace – reluctantly, I opted for the second option.
Visitors must walk the slope barefoot, a rule that protects the fragile crust but punishes one’s soles like walking on Lego.
We chose each step carefully, hunting for the smoothest stripes between ridges. The descent stretched only a few hundred metres, yet the stinging pressure made it feel closer to half an hour, each step a tactical decision rather than a stroll.
A Welcome Shift in Flavour
Once we all made it down, our guide took us to a restaurant that happened to be run by Chinese immigrants in Turkey. We slid chopsticks through shrimp fried noodles, a flavour more reminescent of home, something welcome especially by now I was slowly getting tired of Turkish food.
Hot Air Balloons
As we prepared to depart the next morning, we looked back to see hot air balloons launching into the morning sky.
See more of Pamukkale / Hierapolis here
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