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Friday, January 10, 2014

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

We didn't revisit Pamukkale and Hierapolis on this trip, but I think it's worth a view. Pamukkale is a hot springs area with beautiful travertine terraces built up over time from the minerals in the springs. I understand that the demands for water by hotels on the site have dried up the flow over the terraces, which is a shame.

Nearby are the ruins of Hierapolis, which was begun with a temple built by the Phrygians sometime in the 3rd century BC, and later became the core of the 2nd-century thermal spa. Antiochus the Great sent 2000 Jewish families to the area, a population that eventually swelled to as many as 50,000 by 62 BC. It later was conquered by the Romans, and the Apostle Phillip spent his last years here. Earthquakes have damaged it over time, but it's being excavated and restored. There are a good many tombs here from the various peoples who have lived here over the centuries and it's interesting to see the variety of them:




The ruins are extensive, and from photos I've seen recently, a lot has been done there since I visited. The first photo is the Domitian gate:



The theater:


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