Travertines of Pamukkale

Pamukkale, meaning 'cotton castle' in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The area is famous for a carbonate mineral left by the flowing of thermal spring water. The ancient Greek city of Hierapolis was built on top of the travertine formation, which is approximately 2,700 metres long, 600 m wide and 160 m high. The site has been drawing visitors to its thermal springs since the time of classical antiquity. The travertine formation is made up of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and a series of terraced basins. Hierapolis was founded as a thermal spa early in the 2nd century BC and became a healing centre where doctors used the thermal springs as a treatment for their patients