Pamukkale travertines are a visual feast created by thermal waters in the Büyük Menderes basin after a series of earthquakes 400 thousand years ago. Located in Denizli, Pamukkale is famous for its snow-white travertines, which are visited by millions of people every year, healing thermal waters, the fascinating Cleopatra Pool, the Ancient City of Hierapolis and its magnificent ancient theater.
The terraces of this masterpiece of nature, which has been serving as a hot spring for 1000 years in Pamukkale, consist of carbonate minerals precipitated from the hot spring water. It is also one of the 29 places in the world that has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List with its natural and cultural features. Along with Cappadocia, it is one of the natural beauties that foreigners want to see most in Turkey.
Pamukkale Travertines consist of spring waters and travertine terraced hills. Located on the skirts of Çökelez Mountain and extending at an altitude of 100-150 meters from the plain, this terrace contains thermal springs that form travertines, which are about 6 km away from Pamukkale.
The travertines start from the area called Domuzçukuru near Kadı Creek and stretch to Çaltik Creek, which flows by the last tomb of the Necropolis in the north. Thermal waters provide the formation of these travertines, 50 meters high, 3 km long and 250-600 meters wide.
Formation of Pamukkale Travertines
The thermal water coming out of the spring in Pamukkale covers a distance of about 320 meters, comes to the travertine head, and from there pours into the snow-white travertine layers and covers a distance of 240-300 meters.
When the water saturated with calcium carbonate evaporates under the sun, the cottony appearance of white travertines in gel form first appears and solidifies and turns into crystallized rocks on the surface. In addition to calcium carbonate, it contains sulfate, sodium, iron, potassium, magnesium, free carbon dioxide.
The sedimentary rock travertine terrace is white like cotton and named Pamukkale because of its softness in its original state, and there are 17 hot water areas in the temperature range of 33-35 °C. It has been known for its healing waters since ancient times and welcomes its visitors who wanted to find healing like today.
Its healing waters are good for digestion, respiratory, circulatory and skin diseases. Bringing the travertines to the point of destruction; With the removal of the hotels located between the ancient bath structure and the travertines, it regained its former whiteness.