Denizli: Hotspot for thermal therapy in Aegean Turkey

One of the oldest tourist attractions in Turkey's Denizli province, Pamukkale is a key landmark of the city. Pamukkale has been known as a thermal therapy center for millennia since the Roman times, and especially famous for its white limestone travertine, shaped by calcium-rich hot springs. The hot springs allow visitors to walk barefoot on the travertine terraces, without making them feel cold thanks to the temperature of the water which is hot even during winter time. The world-renowned Pamukkale has been visited by more than two million tourists over the last 11 months, which is all time high. It is most popular among tourists from the Europe, Far East, Latin America countries and Russia. The Cleopatra's Pool, where ancient Egyptian Queen Cleopatra bathed according to a myth, in Hierapolis, gives visitors a thrill of swimming when surrounded by a 2,000-year-old column and marble ruins. The pool formed naturally after the collapse of a series of columns in an earthquake in 692 A.D., which caused thermal water to accumulate. With its water temperature fixed at 36 degrees Celsius (96 F) regardless of the season, the pool is believed to have healing benefits for cardiovascular diseases, rheumatism, skin and nerve diseases as well as intestinal disorders if it is drunk. In the Karahayıt region of Denizli, where many thermal resources gather, the hotels are occupied in winter season by those who want to find cure in the unusual red water. Denizli offers a dynamic winter tourism for vacationers with its activities like paragliding, skiing, and hot air balloon riding. *Paragliding in Denizli Visitors can find numerous tourist attractions in ancient cities, caves and waterfalls, as well as a chance to taste local delicacies and shop in the historic bazaars. Güney, Sakızcılar Asmaaltı and Gümüşsu Waterfalls welcome nature lovers and those who seek peace in nature. Kaklık Cave, which has similar view with the travertine of Pamukkale, and Keloğlan Cave which offers interesting scenes with its stalactite and stalagmite are among the most visited places in the city.