Pamukkale, which translates to "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural location located in Denizli Province in the southwestern part of Turkey. The region is well-known for a carbonate mineral deposited by the movement of hot spring water. Situated in the Inner Aegean region of Turkey, it is found in the River Menderes valley, where a mild climate prevails throughout the majority of the year.

Hierapolis, an ancient Greek city, was constructed on the travertine formation measuring approximately 2,700 metres in length, 600 meters in width, and 160 meters in height. From the hills across the valley in Denizli, which is located 20 km from the town, the view is visible. The thermal springs in this region have been attracting tourists since the era of classical antiquity. 

The name Turkish indicates the snowy white limestone surface, formed over centuries by springs abundant in calcite. Mineral-laden waters flow down the mountainside, gathering in mineral terraces and cascading into pools below. This site, along with Hierapolis, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

The terraces of Pamukkale are formed by travertine, a type of sedimentary rock that is left behind by the mineral-rich water from the hot springs. There are 17 hot springs in this region, with temperatures varying from 35 °C (95 °F) to 100 °C (212 °F). The spring water is carried 320 metres (1,050 ft) to the top of the travertine terraces, where it creates a 60 to 70 metre (200 to 230 ft) long deposit of calcium carbonate over an area of 24 to 30 metres (79 to 98 ft). 

Once the water, filled with an excess of calcium carbonate, makes it to the surface, carbon dioxide is released from it, resulting in the formation of calcium carbonate deposits. Calcium carbonate is laid down by the water in the form of a pliable gel that later solidifies into travertine.

Only a small amount of historical information is available regarding the beginnings of the city. No evidence of either Hittite or Persian presence has been discovered. The Phrygians constructed a temple, likely around the early 600s BC. This temple, initially utilized by the residents of the close by town of Laodicea, would eventually become the focal point of Hierapolis.

Hierapolis was established as a thermal resort in the early 2nd century BC under the rule of the Seleucid Empire. Antiochus the Great relocated 2,000 Jewish families from Babylon and Mesopotamia to Lydia and Phrygia, with additional families from Judea later joining them. The Jewish community expanded in Hierapolis and was believed to have reached up to 50,000 in 62 BC.

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