Denizli : Home of Hierapolis & Pamukkale

The travertines are beautiful in turquoise and white

Of the many historic wonders the world has known, some of the most intriguing lie in Turkey. Visitors to this transcontinental nation often stop by the Bosphorus, the turquoise waves of the Mediterranean and famed Cappadocia, the land of mystery. Though not as frequently visited as the above, the town of Denizli is still frequented by large tourist crowds. It is here that the ancient Roman city of Hierapolis once stood. Today, all that is left of the city is a mass of rubble, and Pamukkale, a sequence of limestone travertines flowing into the Menderes Valley.

Getting to Pamukkale, as the site is popularised, is no difficult task. I travelled from Kusadasi, a resort town and cruise ship port on the

 

Turkish Airlines even has a Boeing 737 named after Denizli

Mediterranean coast, but tours leave other regions too. Denizli has an airport which is served by the flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, as well as other regional and international airlines. Long distance buses stop by, while shuttle services can be availed. It was early when I began, having obtained the service of a shuttle. An early departure would ensure a timely arrival, just before the day's visitors started crowding the place.

For my visit, the drive was smooth along the Turkish highway. En route, the vastness of the Anatolian flats was interrupted by irregular growth of olive trees. Our guide in the shuttle informed that many of those trees were over several hundred years old.

The bus made its way into the small town of Denizli and up to a shallow mountain where it stopped. The entrance to Hierapolis is cluttered with shops and restaurants, which, I agree does take away the sheer unbelievability of the historic site. But, buy your tickets, and you will step into a totally different world. We crossed a half-ruined city wall, which the Romans walked through early in their time. The spa city, as Hierapolis was identified, now lay in miserable ruins. I was lucky that the guide I had been assigned was an archaeologist as well. He informed that no more than one per cent of the city has been excavated and that lots remain beneath the unimpressive rubble. The bathhouses, which had been seen in Ephesus earlier, were replicated here in larger numbers. Some were two-storeyed, back in their day. Here, the Romans had their own version of pool parties, with feasts, wine and young, aesthetic boys and girls to serve as prostitutes (called meretrix). 

 

The Roman Bath Houses hold historic value

A little further away, around the humble walls, lay the necropolis. Here lie the remains of several Roman citizens. Though a short ride away, the necropolis is the widest and one of the largest in Anatolia, making it a fascinating sight.

Nothing, however, matches the experience of descending onto the hillside off Hierapolis. Here, white calcium travertines run down to the Menderes valley. Partially built by nature, and partially by man, Pamukkale is a beautiful sight. One can simply bask in the rejuvenating waters with hundreds of other tourists, or walk the short distance over to a special bathing area and restaurant to while away the day like the Romans did, in their more primitive bathhouses. As I carefully stepped onto the white stone, which had grooves cut into it by the water and was quite coarse to the soles of my feet, I felt a soothing effect of clean, naturally heated water running over my legs. The same water once flowed through the musty pages of Roman history, and even today, the glistening beauty of Pamukkale amazes all who visit it.