White steps descend along the relief, with basins with rounded edges. A photograph of Pamukkale can be reminiscent of snow or ice. Yet the landscape is associated with hot springs. Its whiteness comes from mineral deposits, not from spectacular freezing.
Mineral-laden waters deposit calcium carbonate, building travertine formations. The layers accumulate and draw the terraces. UNESCO links the site to the ancient spa town of Hierapolis: the waters have thus shaped both a natural landscape and a long history of occupation and human use.
The Turkish name Pamukkale evokes a cotton castle. Here again, the image describes an impression rather than the actual matter. Neither snow nor fabric: under this soft appearance is rock. The surprise is this work of water, capable not only of digging a relief, but also of depositing the shapes as it passes through it.
What we know
Mineral terraces; no therapeutic effect of the waters asserted.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 21, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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