PAMUKKALE
A stop along the way is Salda Golu, a beautiful blue salt lake.
We are delighted when Fatih, Murat, and Hakan entertain us as we travel. In this case we are waiting for our lunch to be served at a stop along the way to Pamukkale.
APHRODISIAS
The first settlement at the site of the ancient city of Aphrodisias can be traced back as early as 5800 BC. The use of the name Aphrodisias began after the 3rd century B.C. in the Hellenistic period. New York University has been actively studying and restoring this site since 1961. To get more complete information about Aphrodisias a good site is located at http://www.turizm.net/cities/aphrodisias/.
Gate to the temple of Aphrodite
The temple of Aphrodite
The Boulterion (council house)
A multi-purpose indoor theatre, concert hall and public meeting assembly.
The same as an Odeon in the Roman period.
PAMUKALLE
We check into our hotel which looks quite nice on the Internet and has an impressive sounding name, the Colossae Hotel. It is advertised as a resort and does offer all sorts of services including hot mineral baths and massages. However, the view from our room is of other rooms, barely clad Europeans, and underwear and swimwear hanging from windows. We have twin beds, a shower that doesn't work, and it is positively swarming with tourists -- the first place where we see many other travelers. The help is unfriendly, unwilling to give us change, and we are generally disappointed. However we are only going to be here a short time so we can deal with things as they are.
The sights to see are worth the stay. The travertines of calcium are truly remarkable. It looks like snow from a distance, and even up close looks like is should be cold. However, people take off their shoes and explore the area in their barefeet. We've certainly never seen anything like this before.
HIEROPOLIS
Hieropolis is the ancient name of the city which is now Pamukkale. It is considered one of the 7 wonders of the world. For more in-depth information about this historic site you might want to go to http://www.atamanhotel.com/whc-pamukkale.html.
Necropolis at Hieropolis
As we tour the necropolis we learn about various types of tombs and the history of each. They include the simple stone tombs with Bomos (altars) which are for one person or sometimes for whole families. The tumulus type has its origins in Iran but remind us very much of the ones we saw in Korea. They are mounds, in this case with phallic symbols placed in the center of the top. The third kind is the vaulted style which consists of a house-like structure built above ground - similar to what we saw in New Orleans. It is also here that we see Hadrian's Gate to the original city.
This is only one of several Hadrian's gates we see in Turkey.
The most famous one is in Antalya.
