Pamukkale is the Turkish site famous for white travertine terraces and thermal waters.
Located in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey, Pamukkale means “cotton castle” in Turkish. Its bright terraces formed as mineral-rich hot spring water flowed down the slope. When dissolved carbon dioxide escaped at the surface, calcium carbonate precipitated and gradually hardened into travertine, creating pools, ridges, and cascades.
The natural formation rises above the ancient city of Hierapolis, a Greco-Roman spa settlement built beside and partly above the terraces. People have visited the springs since classical antiquity, drawn by their warmth and mineral content. Today, controlled access and regulated water flow help protect the fragile white surfaces from erosion and overuse.
Pamukkale is often confused with Cappadocia, another celebrated Turkish landscape, but the two are very different. Cappadocia is known for volcanic rock formations and underground cities; Pamukkale is known for calcium-carbonate terraces produced by thermal springs. UNESCO designated the combined Hierapolis-Pamukkale site a World Heritage Site in 1988.