A more detailed version of my article published in Hürriyet Seyahat
The Pamukkale of My Childhood another fairy tale land. My tales were fairy chimneys and Pamukkale travertines. I saw both of these places years ago, but Pamukkale was left unfinished.. I may have begged a little bit to move on from Salda to Pamukkale.
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Transportation to Pamukkale
The extension of visiting hours until 20:00 in summer time is also a factor.. It takes about an hour and a half between Salda Lake and Pamukkale.. When you enter Pamukkale, there is a right-hand road, if I’m not mistaken, it was the north gate.. Free for museum card holders. My debit card already handles this. Otherwise, the entrance is 35 liras, open every day.
If you get a map from the tourism office before you go inside, you can plan where to go.. We have three hours to visit and I’m delirious about the ancient pool.. In my previous visit, I had only visited the travertines and the archaeological museum and returned.. The ancient pool that I’ve counted six million times in the six years that have passed. I am inside the 2500-year-old Pamukkale Hierapolis Ancient City, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is unique in the world..
The signs at the beginning are already directing you. Since no one with me has been here before, I quickly show them the travertines and drag them to the ancient pool to come back again because I wonder like crazy and it is said that it closes at six o’clock. paid. You pay 32 lira and they give you a locker. Then we are in the pool. Thermal water, warm. The bottom is covered with pebbles. When you go through the canal and come out to a wider area, there are columns destroyed by earthquakes and historical artifacts under the water.
Part of the pool is separated by pontoons, the back of the pontoons is deep. There is a column under the water at the bottom of the bridge.. Since the event is completely underwater, I can recommend you not to go without your mask and have an underwater camera.
This place was a health center especially during the Roman period.. I give my mask to my friend when I turn the water upside down and say videos and photos.. Why? Because I want beautiful pictures to come out. I have plans to go to the deep part and dive into the water and land next to the column. I dive in and break my tooth against the huge pillar destroyed by earthquakes centuries ago. There’s even a video of it. A vivid memory of a tooth fracture that no one could bear to watch.
Could those who built that column know that it would be destroyed by earthquakes, submerged under water, and that a Spring would come and break their tooth after centuries!?
Pamukkale Travertines
Even if our pool enjoyment is interrupted, we do not give up and head towards travertines. The whole place is covered with Spanish dancers and Chinese army. Lost tourists in our country found in Pamukkale. How beautiful. Maybe there aren’t that many people who have gone from our own country to see it.. This place is among the most visited places known by the whole world.. I think it’s a happy thing for our country.. At first, dozens of people enter each of my photos.. I don’t like crowds of people in the background of my photos. For a clean photo, we are quite successful even if we struggle a bit.. When I came years ago, when you look from the travertines, the black lake, which is seen below, has been rehabilitated, and the deep blue is looking at us.. how gratifying. My advice for those who come here for the first time is to go to the water of the travertines and then to the ancient pool.. Because the water of the travertines gets colder as it goes down.. No problem in summer.
Travertines were formed by the collapse of rocks. The hot water given here is 365 degrees and contains plenty of calcium and carbohydrates.. When the water comes out, it mixes with the air and carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide fly and calcium carbonate accumulates on the travertines.. They are white in color and hardened and rocky over time.. It was the hot waters that collapsed these rocks.
When you give too much water to the travertines, it becomes mossy and green, and if it stays dry, it darkens.. For this reason, water is given at intervals.. Most of the water that once came here was given to hotels and the travertines were darkened.. I was so sad to read that news.. Fortunately, the mistake was quickly turned around and the world-famous Pamukkale travertines were saved.
Pamukkale Hierapolis Ancient City
We take wonderful photos, play in the water of the travertines and set off towards the ancient city. Since I am not a historian, according to the information I read on the internet, the city, which was founded in the time of the Phrygians, was destroyed by the earthquakes it experienced in time, and when it was rebuilt, Roman architecture dominated.. The Ancient City of Hierapolis was founded in the 3rd century BC.
We start the ancient city, which is spread over a very large area, from the baths, and then enter through its majestic gate and enter Cleopatra’s ancient city. We are walking towards the ancient theater from the main street where he walks.. Even though it’s evening, it’s still hot. Try not to coincide with lunch hours in the summer. It would be really hard. As you walk, you can still see the earth split by earthquakes.. Even after all this time.
Pamukkale Antique Theater
We enter the theater after a slight slope and I stare. I realize that I haven’t looked at any photos of the ancient theater.. The most important and original Roman Theater in the Mediterranean, which took 150 years to build, is an 1800-year-old ancient theater.. With a magnificent sunset and mythological reliefs, the ancient theater, which fascinates me, embraces us with all its majesty.. It is forbidden to go to the stage. However, I would love to be on that stage.. There is a bit of disappointment in not being able to see, touch and live all these years because of my friends who refused to come here when I came years ago.. Why do people travel alone?. That’s why it’s always. These experiences, which are “just STONE” according to many people, are very precious to me.. Think about it, we are in the reality of things that we read and know from history books and imagine from animations in some movies. Even the possibility of Cleopatra sitting where I sit excites me.
The museum is about to close, we must hurry to the gate. Normally we had planned to camp in Pamukkale for one night.. It allows camping in the garden of the hotel with a pool just across the travertines.. Tent fee is 55 TL and you can benefit from everything including the hotel’s pool throughout the day.. Here are the magnificent travertines. But because of my broken tooth, we have to go back immediately..
Thank God, we couldn’t resist Ali Abi’s pleasant conversation at the grocery store, where we asked for directions right across the lake, before entering the ancient city, and we ate kokorec in the shop next to it.. Because I couldn’t eat anything for two days afterwards.. Ali brother said that everything is expensive in the museum and sent us a good meal.. He even offered to take care of our cat.. These beautiful people are the best part of traveling.
With the healing waters and white sediments of the travertines, we are like cotton and set off to Istanbul with our compulsory return.. If you haven’t seen this magical place where people from all over the world flock to, you are missing out.
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