Michael Gaylard Photography

History and the Cleopatra legend

Legend: Local tradition links the pool to Cleopatra VII, claiming it was a gift from Mark Antony and that the queen bathed there; this story is part of the site’s popular appeal but is not firmly proven by contemporary sources.
Archaeology: The pool formed where a Roman temple complex (often associated with Apollo and the spa town of Hierapolis) collapsed in an earthquake; columns, capitals, and marble fragments now lie submerged. Excavations and finds from the site date mainly to the Roman Imperial

What you’ll see and why it’s special

Thermal water: The pool is fed by warm, mineral-rich springs (around mid-30s °C), long believed to have therapeutic properties.
Underwater ruins: Visitors can swim among fallen columns and marble blocks that once belonged to the Roman temple complex, a rare combination of active bathing and visible submerged archaeology.

Key historical phases and turning points

Foundation and Hellenistic growth

Likely refounded or expanded by the Attalid kings of Pergamon in the 2nd century BCE; the name Hierapolis means “holy city,” reflecting its cultic and therapeutic role.

Roman prosperity and rebuilding

Major Roman-era monuments (the theatre, baths, colonnaded streets) date to the 1st–3rd centuries CE after destructive earthquakes prompted lavish reconstructions.

Christian period

Hierapolis became an early Christian centre; local tradition and later archaeology associate the city with the martyrdom and tomb of the Apostle Philip.

Principal monuments and features

Antique Pool (Cleopatra’s Pool)

A thermal pool containing submerged columns and architectural fragments from collapsed Roman structures; popular for bathing among ruins.

Roman theatre

Large, well-preserved theatre used for performances and civic events; its scale reflects the city’s regional importance.

Plutonium (Gate to the Underworld)

A sacred cave or fissure that emitted toxic gases and was used in ritual contexts; ancient writers and archaeological work highlight its ritual significance.

Necropolis

One of the largest ancient cemeteries in Anatolia, with richly inscribed tombs that illuminate social status, professions, and funerary practice.

Archaeology, conservation, and recent discoveries

Systematic excavation and conservation have been ongoing since the 19th century, with Turkish and international teams uncovering streets, baths, temples, and the Martyrium of Philip. Conservation balances visitor access (including controlled bathing in the Antique Pool) with protection of fragile travertines and submerged archaeological material. Recent work has refined the city’s chronology and clarified the location of key Christian monuments.

How the terraces formed

Hot spring water supersaturated with calcium carbonate flows down the slope; as carbon dioxide degasses the carbonate precipitates and crystallizes into travertine, building the terraces over millennia.The travertine formation stretches for about 2,700 m in length, 600 m wide and up to 160 m high; local springs range roughly from 35 °C to 100 °C.
Access is controlled, and water flow management and restricted walking routes were introduced after damage from mass tourism; ongoing conservation balances visitor access with preserving the travertine.