Haven of Wellness

HEAD INWARDS FROM the coast and a must-visit destination awaits: Pamukkale. Credited as the world’s first wellness centre, Pamukkale is shaped by the thermal waters of the ancient city of Hierapolis. A tourist hot-spot, the snow-white calcareous travertines here are often packed with tourists from around the world enjoying a soak in the healing waters and hot springs. The Cleopatra Pool, eponymous to the Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, is famous.

It is believed that the Egyptian ruler herself would visit this 2nd-century pool, annually, to enjoy a cleansing soak. The Ancient Theatre of Hierapolis pulls crowds for its unique mythological reliefs, magnificent stage building, and the cavea or the tiered semi-circular seating space. The Hell’s Gate—which reopened in 2021 after years of remaining closed for tourists owing to excavations—finds a spot on the itinerary owing to its mysterious past. In the ancient world, this site was considered the gateway to the land of the dead. Today, it also boasts being on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The thermal waters in the ancient city of Hierapolis.