Pamukkale, Republic of Türkiye
Region: Phrygia
Theme: Greek City & Roman Hot Springs
Visits: July, 2023
UNESCO World Heritage Site, 1988
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On a trip to Antalya, my wife Milene took the opportunity to visit Hierapolis, approximately 4 hours of travel between Antalya-Hierapolis, an interesting day trip to do when visiting the region. Hierapolis-Pamukkale was an ancient thermal spa based on natural hot springs. Pamukkale consists of a striking natural landscape of white terraces with travertines stemming from calcite-rich water from the hot springs. Under Hellenistic and Roman rule, the area became a healing center using the hot springs for therapies. Religious structures were added as well, a practice that continued into the Early Christian period. The ruins of Hierapolis are typical of other Greco-Roman cities, but its excellent location just above the travertine pools and hot springs stands out.
The ancient city of Hierapolis, 18 km north of the province of Denizli, was founded by Eumenes II, the King of Bergama in the 2nd century BCE and it can be said that Telephos, the legendary founder of Bergama, named Hierapolis after his wife, Hiera. The city was continuously destroyed and rebuilt by earthquakes because it was in an earthquake prone area. However, the buildings that are standing today were built after the great earthquake in 60 CE and after that, the city was constructed with a grid plan, taking the appearance of a typical Roman city that had lost its Hellenistic character.
After the Roman period, Hierapolis continued to be a very important center in the Byzantine period. The reason Hierapolis was the center of Christianity since the 4th century CE was that St. Philip, one of Jesus ‘ disciples, was crucified here in 80 CE. Kent I.S. After the Byzantine conquest of the 4th century, an octagonal church called Martyrium was built in memory of St. Philip. Therefore, the city gained fame and it got the title “Metropolis”.
The city was destroyed by the earthquake in the 7th century CE and lost its identity. It became a small town in the 12th century, then the area came under the control of the Seljuk Sultanate in the 13th century and following the earthquake in the 14 century, it was completely abandoned.
The ancient city had grid plan consisting of two monumental gates and perpendicular streets parallel to the Main Street. The Main Street, which is about 1 km long, divides the city into two and there are arcades, public buildings, shops and workshops on both sides of this street.
The necropolis areas outside the city walls and on the north, south and east side of the city are the largest necropolis in Southwest Anatolia. The other significant buildings of the ancient cite are; Bath-Basilica, Latrina, Theater, Ploutonion (a shrine to the Greek god Pluto), Apollon Temple, water canals and The Nymphaeum, churches (St. Philip Martyrium, St. Philip Church) and the antique pool and the baths.
The church with an octagonal core was built at the beginning of the fifth century CE on the summit of the hill. This is probably where, according to tradition, the apostle Philip was martyred. The building was an eight-sided central room surmounted by a wooden cupola. From each of the eight sides of the central space there was access to a rectangular room through three arches supported by marble columns with capitals decorated with acanthus leaves.
The shape of the central room is a reference to the number eight (the symbol of infinity) which symbolises eternity. The church is situated inside a square composed of 28 rooms for housing pilgrims which were accessed from the outside. As in other Byzantine sanctuaries associated with healing powers (e.g. that of saints Cosmas and Damian in Constantinople and elsewhere), in these rooms incubation rites were practised. During sleep, the saint cured the sick and made prophecies concerning the future.
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 in total about 2,700 metres (8,860 ft) long, 600 m (1,970 ft) wide and 160 m (525 ft) high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away.
This area has been drawing visitors to its thermal springs since the time of classical antiquity. The Turkish name refers to the surface of the shimmering, snow-white limestone, shaped over millennia by calcite-rich springs. Dripping slowly down the mountainside, mineral-rich waters collect in and cascade down the mineral terraces, into pools below.
Situated above the Pamukkale white travertine pools is one particularly spectacular location fed by the same hot springs. Unlike the white water of the lower pools the Antique Pool favored by Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, is pure clear warm water. Once it was surmounted by a Roman Temple to Apollo with ornate roof held up with Doric columns.
The Ploutonion was one of the most famous sancturies in Asia Minor, dedicated to the god of the underworld, Pluto and his bride Proserpine. Ancient writers, including Strabo, Cassius Dio, Damascius, describe the rites that were performed in front of this cave, from which thermal spring waters flowed and dangerous gases (carbon-dioxide) were emitted.
For these reasons the cave was considered the entrance to the underworld; herebulls were sacrificed by causing them to be asphyxiated by the fumes. The sanctuary has two basins for spring waters flanking a circular marble arch bearing a dedicatory inscription in Greek to Pluot and Kore, the kings of the underworld. It was partially restored in 2014 CE by the Italian mission.
The ritual theatre, built in a rectangular plan, is the key element of the sanctuary, from which about 800 worshippers and spectators could observe the rites that took place in front of the cave; the sacrifice of bulls suffocated by the gases and the entrance in to the cavity by the eunuch priests of Cybele, the only ones able to do so without being killed by the fumes. The worshippers were forbidden to access the area in front of the cave. Running along the top of the theatre was an elegant Ionic order portico, built during the reign of Nero.
Initially, in its first phase of construction (circa 90 BCE to 110 CE), the theatre of Hierapolis had a smaller stage with a Doric order facade, and a scaenaefrons probably on two levels.
In the second phase of the construction (circa 210 CE) of the theatre the stage was enlarged and finished with a rich columned facade with marble niches. The lower cavea is re-built in marble, and provided with a circular seating plan for the nobles.
The third phase (circa 350 CE) the theatre is restored, reinforced and transformed; the orchestra is converted in a colimbetra (large pool) for aquatic spectacles, lined with waterproof mortar and provided with pipes from the filling and drainage of water.
Photo-α: The Theatre of Hierapolis
Further information at: Muze.gov.tr | Britannica.com/Hierapolis | Worldheritagesite.org/Hierapolis | wiki.org/Hierapolis
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