Pamukkale Antique Pool – Swimming in Cleopatra’s Pool

Pamukkale’s Antique Pool – A Sacred Pool In Which Cleopatra Is Believed to Have Swum:

Hierapoliswas popular for its thermal springs during Hellenistic times, but it was during the Roman period that the city’s reputation as a health centre boomed. The hot springs, with its mineral rich waters are said to be good for illnesses such as skin diseases, circulation problems, rheumatism, heart diseases and many other ailments and people flocked here to find relief for their diseases. At the height of this health tourism, there were more than fifteen baths in Hierapolis.

Swimming in Cleopatra’s Pool

If you are visiting Pamukkale and want to enjoy a relaxing swim amongst Roman ruins in the famous Hierapolis hot springs, the Antique Pool is a modern spa complex with a thermal pool that is open to the public. The pool is surrounded by lush greenery and in it are marble columns, capitals and plinths that are believed to have fallen from the nearby Temple of Apollo during an earthquake, making this a sacred pool. Mineral-rich fresh water is constantly pumped in and the water felt warm to touch. Cleopatra is said to have swum in an earlier version of a pool here, but whether she did or not, I must say that this pool looks idyllic and inviting, but unfortunately we didn’t come prepared for a swim.

To swim here, you pay a fee of TL30 for adults. There are showers and changing rooms here, as well as lockers to store your belongings. Towels are not provided, so you need to bring your own. If you forget, the Pools of Cleopatra spa shop has towels for sale but you’ll be paying a more expensive price for these.

However, if you don’t wish to swim, you can still visit the spa resort (no fees payable) and even enjoy a drink and snack here. There are plenty of tables and chairs where you can enjoy a break here.

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