Hierapolis-Pamukkale Deriving from springs in a cliff almost 200 m high overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have created at Pamukkale (Cotton Palace) an unreal landscape, made up of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and a series of terraced basins. At the end of the 2nd century B.C. the dynasty of the Attalids, the kings of Pergamon, established the thermal spa of Hierapolis. The ruins of the baths, temples and other Greek monuments can be seen at the site. Located near to Pamukkale, Hierapolis is an ancient cite that attracts worldwide attention for its majestic buildings and monuments. It was built in 200 BC by Eumenes II. He built it in dedication to the Amazon Queen Hiera, wife of Telephos the founder of Pergamum. The city lost its Hellenistic facade due to a series of earthquakes; however, it gained a new facade reflecting the influences of Roman architecture during the reconstruction period. The theater is actually a part of the ancient city itself; it sits on a slope above the rest of Hierapolis. Its exterior is more than 100 meters in length and has two levels of seating, each with 26 columns. The short hike up there can be a bit tiring; however, the view from there is very rewarding. Pamukkale Antique Pool, famously known as Cleopatra’s pool, is the perfect stop to alleviate those exhausted travel muscles in mineral-rich hot spring water. It is said that the pool was one of the favorite places of Cleopatra, the former queen of Egypt. You get to paddle amongst centuries-old columns and marble blocks which apparently, they fell into the pool during an earthquake and nobody removed them since then.