Anatolian Civilizations and Historical Sites - TEDA

ANATOLIAN CIVILIZATIONS:10x19 antik kentler 8/1/11 10:51 AM Sayfa
Hierapolis-Pamukkale
Located 20 km. away from the town of Denizli, Pamukkale is one of the
most interesting places in the world.
Over the millennia, the calcium-oxide rich waters flowing down the
southern slope of Çal Da¤›, located north of the ruins, have built up
deposits of white travertine on the plateau. These deposits explain both
the site’s ancient name, Hierapolis-Holy City-and its modern name,
Pamukkale-Cotton Castle.
Ancient Hierapolis appears to have been founded by King Eumenes II of
Pergamon. Its name is derived from Hiera, the wife of King Telephos, the
legendary founder of Pergamon. The city came under Roman control in
133 BC. In 17 BC, during the reign of Tiberius, it suffered a heavy
earthquake that substantially destroyed the city, requiring it to be rebuilt.
Preliminary excavations at Hierapolis were undertaken by a German team
towards the end of the last century whereby since 1957, excavation and
restoration work has taken place under the direction of an Italian group
of archaeologists.
The ancient city was strung out on either side of a long colonnaded
avenue called the Plateia. Measuring 13 m. wide, this avenue ran from the
gateway in the south to the Arch of Domitian in the north. It was paved
with huge blocks of limestone. The first structure one encounters upon
reaching the plateau are the city baths, which have been very well
preserved. The baths are Roman, and were built in the 2 nd century AD.
In the eastern part of the baths is a palaestra measuring 36.13 by 52.25 m..
Immediately to the north and south of the palaestra are two large rooms
that were reserved for the emperor and for ceremonial use. A large hall,
once used by athletes as a gymnasion, stretches the length of the
western side of the palaestra.
This hall led into the frigidarium from which one proceeded to the
barrel-vaulted rooms of the calidarium. A small room adjacent to the large
hall now serves as a museum in which artefacts discovered in the
View of Pamukkale. Calcium oxide deposits from a nearby stream have
created these extraordinary formations on the plateau of Pamukkale, which
means ‘Cotton Castle’ in English as they resemble tufts of cotton.
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