Cotton Castle in Turkey: Incredible Natural Wonder

When I was a child I use to dream about snow castles in a far off land... But with the passage of time my dream seemed to come true the day I visited this unusual natural and historical site in Turkey.

Sparkling white castle like cascades, Pamukkale is said to be one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world and is also one of the most important highlights of Turkey, unique in the world.

The name of this site comes from the Turkish word “Pamukkale”, that means “cotton castle”, and yes the name proves its worth parallel to the glorious and spectacular view of the site.

Few know that these are not snow capped sheets as they are mostly thought to be albeit dazzling white calcareous castles that are formed by limestone coated thermal springs, creating the unbelievable formation of stalactites, potholes and cataracts. Unbelievable! But true.

Legend has it that the ancient city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white “castle” which is in total about 2700 meters long and 160m high. This can be seen from a great distance, while you drive down the hills on the opposite side of the valley to the town of Denizli, which is 20 kms that is a stone's throw away.

Pamukkale is located in the Turkey’s Inner Aegean region, in the river Menderes valley, which has a cool temperate climate throughout the year.

When I visited the place I was accompanied with my Geologist friend Oliver and he said that “The tectonic movements that took place in the fault depression of the Menderes river basin did not only cause frequent earthquakes, but also gave rise to the emergence of a number of very hot springs. The water from one of these springs, with its large mineral content i.e chalk in particular that created Pamukkale”.

It is also known that apart from some radioactive material, the water contains large amounts of hydrogen carbonate and calcium, which leads to the precipitation of calcium carbonate(chalk).

The resultant effect of this natural phenomenon leaves behind thick white layers of limestone and travertine cascading down the mountain slope, making the area look like a fortress of cotton or a frozen waterfall. Spectacular right!

Pamukkale literally means ‘cotton castle’ and is one of Turkey’s most impressive natural wonders. Made up of a series of white travertine terraces cascading down a cliff almost 200 m high.



In order to preserve the beauty of the terraces, visitors may not walk through them but those who want to enjoy the thermal waters can take a dip in the nearby pool amongst fragments of marble pillars.

It was this thermal waters which lead to the founding of the spa town of Hierapolis at the end of the 2nd century BC by the dynasty of the Attalids, the kings of Pergamon.

What laymen see today is perhaps in one way the remains of the ancient ruins of baths, temples, the well-preserved theater and the largest necropolis or graveyard in Anatolia containing 1200 tombs.

I did not miss this chance of a natural thermal pedicure spa. It was so rejuvenating .

As per the locals this water has a lot of therapeutic properties which could heal skin ailments. Therefore, here we see a real lifetime thrill for the visitors indeed!