PLEASE GO! If you're in Turkey, and you don't make a trip here - YOU WILL REGRET NOT GOING!…read more It's truly a fairy-tale, dream-like environment. Endless views of white limestone. For travelers unaware of its nature, one might think it's a winter wonderland. We are grateful (and unfortunate) today that we can still enjoy the pools today. When you go, please respect the walls and pools. They are a gift from mother nature, not meant to be grafitti-ed or damaged by any means. I made a day trip from Kusadasi (a port city along the western coast of Turkey). While we spent about half the day driving, Pamukkale was truly amazing. Words cannot express the sheer grandeur and magnitude of this site. Just beyond the pools of Pamukkale lies Hierapolis. There is a well preserved Roman city and contains pool that Cleopatra once loved.

This site dates back to the Roman Empire from the 5 th century BC. It was the magical springs that…read moreprompted its development and are still in existence today. You can walk into the water. The ruins are spread over 2 miles. Also a very nice museum is on site.

"Hierapolis & Pamukkale"…read more Hierapolis, in Pamukkale, is well worth the visit. There are so many ruins that it is almost unbelievable, and you stroll past Roman column pieces as though they were just detritus. The Cotton Castle of Pamukkale is a site to be visited and experience. This was one of our best sites on our Turkey tour. The place is located in Denizli province southwest of Turkey, it is layers of cascading mountain of white calcite formation spilling over the landscape and formed terraces of faint blue pools of thermal water. One of the attractions is the spa with the Cleopatra Pools

This terrace natural formation is due to the thermal underground hot springs above. Recently the…read morecenter kind limits the output of the water. Sometimes you visit there there is no water. The day that we visited has thermal water flowing which creates the sky blue water pool. It look beautiful. The terrace water pool form different elevation pool at the slope of the hill. Visitors can walk to end of the pool. Due to the care of the water, visitors must travel down the slope with barefoot. No shoe allowed. So it is very slippery and pointy along the walk. Rick is very high. The most beautiful part of the terrace pool is located at the top of round overview. It is really beautiful to stand on the water and take pictures.

What a delightful Turkish day at Pamukkale Travertines. The weather was outstanding for January…read moreand we took advantage of it. From the hot springs to the limestone formations, this place looks and feels like you are on another planet. With the winter white background, each picture we snapped made us feel like we knew exactly the place and angle to shoot from. It's a social media haven. The Cleopatra pool was closed, which was fine by us, as we just enjoyed the slow walk down the Travertines while soaking up the ambiance. You can bring swimwear, but we choose to take off our shoes, roll up the pants and dip our feet in. The white mud at the bottom of the pools are supposed to be good to rub on your face but the thoughts of toe jam on my cheeks was a deal killer. The spring water is warmest on top and goes to lukewarm to the lower pools. For the best photos , you will need to go down a least half way down. Be careful, it can be slippery and stay away from the edge. It would be like sliding down a cheese grater if you fell off.

Cool historic site. Less crowded than Hierapolis. Cool ruins to explore. Plenty of parking…read more Admission covered by Museum Turkey pass. Definitely worth checking out.

Decent historical site. If this was anywhere else in world it would be a top site, but it is not…read moreas interesting other antiquity sites in general vicinity. Very low entrance fee (covered by Museum Turkey pass if you have it). You can drive to close to top sites to see on site, Not a destination but not a bad stop if in area.

Empires rise and fall, but earth abides…read more This historical site is spread out in an ancient olive grove. The olive trees and ruins together are quite picturesque. Such a humble and beautiful home for these Roman ruins. The olive grove slowly did what other empires were unable to do two thousand years ago. The green took over a fortified Roman town. The fate. If all empires is to return to nature. The trees, bushes, rocks and soil only lease it's land and materials to cities, then repossess when it is time. You get more people visiting the historical site of Ephesus. However, I believe the site at Nysa is just as special and so much less crowded. It is a must see along with Ephesus and Pamukkale (translation 'cotton castle').

This historic city is located at Pamukkale. This city is big in ancient time due to hot springs in…read morethe city. The city is Cleopatra love. Because she use the thermal pool here. The pool is still there. During our visit the pool is under renovation. There is a fees to use the pool. Imagine swim in the same area of Cleopatra. The city also has mineral terraces pool. It is beautiful. The city is one of the kind. It is more like a residential city. There is mount to overlook the entire city. Museum also located in the site. You need two hours to finish entire experience. I would suggest spending a day there.

I've never been to a UNESCO World Heritage Site that wasn't awesome and amazing, and Hierapolis is…read morecertainly no exception. Just amazing. Can't even subtract because of the very annoying group tours and numerous underqualified guides, you really don't need a tour guide. What you want instead is a good guidebooks, Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, National Geographic, or DK Eyewitness Guide. Also, admission price includes an audio tour, they do give you blue tooth earpieces but I would bring your own so they are fully charged. The audio tour is pretty good and certainly much better than the live guides who often just make stuff up. A little less crowded than Ephesus, and not bad at all during the cold offseason. Much of the annoying groups are more enamored with the hot springs part than the ancient ruins as well. 200 meters high overlooking Pamukkale (cotton growing and textile processing area, hence the name of our hotel, the Cotton House), Founded by the Hellenistic Attalid kings of Pergamom at the end of the 2nd century B.C.E., at the site of an ancient cult. Its hot springs were also used for scouring and drying wool. Ceded to Rome in 133 B.C.E, Hierapolis reached its peak 3rd century CE. An earthquake in 60 CE resulted in massive destruction. Remains of the Greco-Roman period include baths, temple ruins, a monumental arch, a nymphaeum, a necropolis and a theatre. Following the acceptance of Christianity by the emperor Constantine and his establishment of Constantinople as the 'new Rome' in 330 CE., the town was made a bishopric. As the place of St. Philip's martyrdom in 80 C.E., commemorated by his Martyrium in the 5th century, Hierapolis with its several churches became an important religious center for the Eastern Roman Empire. There's a lot to see here over a pretty wide area, do not miss the amphitheater.