Road station

Hierapoli

Pamukkale

At Hierapoli a cave breathed out deadly fumes; the historian Ammianus heard that its vapour killed whatever came near it, except eunuchs, and over it stood the temple of Apollo Kareios, the city's patron. The name, the holy city, was tied to this sanctuary or to the many shrines here. The town, now Pamukkale in Turkey, lived on its hot springs: the Roman architect Vitruvius noted that their water, led into gardens and vineyards, left a crust of stone within a year, and it was also used to dye wool, the source of the city's wealth. After an earthquake under Nero, a huge rebuilding followed under Domitian.

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