Pamukkale
This is what makes the hot natural beauty in Turkey
Today it is forbidden to bathe in Pamukkale pools.
© muratart/Shutterstock.com
They are white and warm: The limestone terraces of Pamukkale in Turkey are a natural phenomenon that has been almost destroyed by humans.
When nature is in a good mood, impressive places are created. Like in Turkey, where the “cotton castle” of Pamukkale is located along the Aegean coast. The white limestone terraces gleam at the visitor from afar. The hot water that flows over the cliff edges is said to have a healing effect and help against rheumatism and heart problems.
The snow-white terraces were formed over thousands of years through the evaporation of the calcareous thermal water from the springs. What remained were deposits reminiscent of cotton wool – hence the name. Today, as then, Pamukkale is a popular destination for tourists and day-trippers, which has not done the pools any good. Vacationers in bikinis and swimming trunks flocked to the pools in droves and sometimes even walked through the water in shoes. This is how the place in south-west Turkey lost its beauty.
Inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List
This was stopped around 20 years ago: it is now forbidden to swim in the pools. If you want to enter the terraces, you have to do it barefoot. The hotels that had sprung up like mushrooms over the years were also completely demolished. In this way, more space and protection for nature should be generated again. Unesco drew attention to its uniqueness and beauty. Thus the terraces stand together with the archeological site of the ancient city of Hierapolis above them on the World Heritage List.