The Ancient Spa City Above the Travertines
Hierapolis sits on the plateau directly above the Pamukkale travertine terraces, and the two sites are inscribed together as a single UNESCO World Heritage property. Founded in the 2nd century BC — likely by the Attalid kings of Pergamon — Hierapolis grew into a significant Greco-Roman city built specifically to take advantage of the same thermal springs that formed the terraces below. Ancient visitors came seeking cures for various ailments in the mineral-rich waters, much as travelers still come today, and the city prospered as a religious, spa, and trading center for centuries under Roman and later Byzantine rule.
Much of what survives dates to the Roman imperial period, after a major earthquake in 60 AD destroyed the earlier city and it was rebuilt on a grander scale. A second serious earthquake in the 7th century, along with the rise of Byzantine-era decline, eventually left the city largely abandoned, preserving its ruins for archaeologists to uncover starting in the late 19th century.
The Roman Theatre
The best-preserved structure at Hierapolis is its large Roman theatre, built into the hillside and originally capable of seating several thousand spectators. Much of the stone seating survives, along with sections of the elaborately carved stage building (scaenae frons), decorated with reliefs depicting mythological scenes. The theatre is still used occasionally for cultural events and offers one of the best vantage points at the site for photographing both the ruins and the travertine terraces below.
The Necropolis
Hierapolis is home to one of the largest and best-preserved necropolises in Asia Minor, stretching for over a kilometer along the road leading north from the city. It contains hundreds of tombs spanning several centuries and styles — tumulus mounds, sarcophagi, house-shaped tombs, and simple grave markers — reflecting the diverse population that lived, visited, and was buried at this spa city, from wealthy Roman citizens to more modest local residents. Walking through the necropolis gives a strong sense of the scale and continuity of the ancient city, since burials here span from the Hellenistic period through the early Byzantine era.
Temple of Apollo and the Plutonium
Near the center of the site stand the remains of the Temple of Apollo, the city's principal sanctuary, built over an older sacred site. Immediately adjacent is the Plutonium (Ploutonion), a small cave opening in the rock that ancient sources describe as a gate to the underworld, associated with the god Pluto. The association wasn't purely mythological: the cave naturally emits carbon dioxide and other gases at levels dangerous enough to have killed animals and, according to ancient accounts, priests who tested their immunity to the fumes in religious rituals. Today the Plutonium is fenced off and cannot be entered, but it remains one of the more evocative corners of the site, and modern gas measurements have confirmed the ancient descriptions were not simply legend.
Roman Baths and the Archaeology Museum
Hierapolis's Roman bath complex, one of the largest and best-preserved bath structures from the ancient world, has been converted into the Hierapolis Archaeology Museum. Inside, the museum displays statues, sarcophagi reliefs, and everyday artifacts recovered from excavations across the site, giving useful context to the ruins outside. It's a worthwhile stop if you want to understand the city's history in more depth rather than just walking past the standing structures.
The Antique Pool, Within the Same Site
The Antique Pool (Cleopatra's Pool) — where visitors can swim among sunken Roman marble columns in warm thermal water — sits within the Hierapolis grounds, a short walk from the theatre. It requires its own separate ticket beyond general Hierapolis and travertine admission. See our dedicated Antique Pool guide for pricing, water temperature, and tips.
The City Walls and Frontinus Street
Hierapolis retains sections of its ancient city walls and gates, including the well-preserved Domitian Gate (also known as the Arch of Frontinus), a triple-arched monumental entrance built in the 1st century AD along the city's main colonnaded street. This thoroughfare, Frontinus Street, ran the length of the city and was lined with shops and public buildings, giving a clear sense of Hierapolis's scale as a functioning Roman urban center rather than just a scattering of isolated ruins. Walking its length connects several of the site's major points of interest in a single, roughly linear route.
Byzantine-Era Additions
Hierapolis didn't stop developing after the Roman period. Following the spread of Christianity, the city became a bishopric, and the ruins include a substantial Byzantine church as well as the Martyrium of St. Philip, a monumental octagonal structure built on the hillside above the theatre, commemorating the apostle Philip, who is believed to have been martyred in Hierapolis. This structure sits somewhat apart from the main cluster of Roman ruins and rewards visitors willing to walk a bit further uphill, offering both an important early Christian pilgrimage site and good views back over the terraces.
Planning Your Time at Hierapolis
Hierapolis is large, and walking between the main points of interest — the theatre, necropolis, Temple of Apollo, Plutonium, museum, and Antique Pool — realistically takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours at a comfortable pace, more if you linger at the museum or swim. Most visitors combine Hierapolis with the travertine terrace walk below in a single half-day to full-day visit.
| Site | Approx. time needed |
|---|---|
| Roman theatre | 20–30 min |
| Necropolis | 20–30 min |
| Temple of Apollo & Plutonium | 15–20 min |
| Archaeology museum | 30–45 min |
| Antique Pool (if swimming) | 45–60 min |
The general Pamukkale ticket covers Hierapolis and the travertines together, so there's no need to purchase separate admission for the ruins. For orientation on where the gates and main paths sit relative to the terraces, check our map and location guide, and see the overview for how a full Pamukkale-Hierapolis visit typically fits together.