Pammukale - Denizli - Turkey

Pamukkale, meaning Cotton Castle in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. The ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which is in total about 2,700 metres long, 600 m wide and 160 m high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away. Pamukkale's terraces are made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by water from the hot springs.

In this area, there are 17 hot water springs in which the temperature ranges from 35 °C to 100 °C. When the water, supersaturated with calcium carbonate, reaches the surface calcium carbonate is deposited by the water as a soft jelly, but this eventually hardens into travertine.

Denizli town also attracts visitors to the nearby spa hotels with red color thermal water.