Pamukkale: Where ancient history and unspoiled nature collide

In terms of a spa, I was sure it had no match in all of Turkey. Cleopatra's Pool, a miracle of nature in which thermal waters gently course over the ruins of columns at the ancient city of Hierapolis, transports the visitor back to time immemorial. The therapeutic spring waters that bubble to the surface in this region were a source of life for Hierapolis, one of the most prominent centers of health in antiquity. Large or small, the city's many public baths served guests all day long, boosting the city's fame. Today, the large public bath in the heart of the city has become the Hierapolis Museum.

Let's embark now on a journey of discovery, following the waters that have blessed Pamukkale, Hierapolis and other places in Denizli, in Turkey's southwest, with splendid civilization from ancient times right up to the present.

Romantic white, therapeutic red

Just a few minutes' walk from Hierapolis, which welcomes over a million visitors a year, lies a geological wonder: Pamukkale and its majestic snow-white travertine pools. While it is prohibited to tread on the tiny pools, there's nothing to stop one from floating high above them with a glider. Çökelez Dağı, a mountain by Pamukkale that is poised to overtake Babadağ on Turkey's southwest coast as the country's gliding capital, is at an ideal altitude for a flight.

Authorities have also taken other precautions to preserve Pamukkale's delicate travertines, moving all hotels to Karahayıt. In contrast to Pamukkale's white waters, the therapeutic waters that rise to the surface at Karahayıt's travertines are red due to dozens of minerals and a high concentration of iron ions.

Following the trail of the waters is a good way of getting to know Denizli and the Aegean...