Pamukkale. Nature miracle

WONDERS OF NATURE
Free library / Directory / Wonders of nature

Pamukkale. Nature miracle

Wonders of nature

Ancient Greek myths tell about the wanderings of Odysseus. For ten years, Odysseus fought under the walls of Troy, for ten long years he did not see his wife Penelope, the son of Telemachus, and with all his heart he strove to return to his native island of Ithaca as soon as possible. After defeating the Trojans, along with his warriors, he boarded the ship with a light heart and set off on his way back, which turned out to be much longer than he wanted.

Odysseus had to save his comrades from the one-eyed giant Polyphemus, learn the full power of the wind commanded by the god Eol, spend a year on the island of the sorceress Circe, and even descend into the underworld of Hades. Together with his companions, he sailed past the island of insidious sirens - vultures with female heads - and passed the terrible monster Scylla. When the ship of Odysseus got into a severe storm, the king of Ithaca found himself among the waves and miraculously did not drown, having swum to an amazing island. It was inhabited by Calypso, daughter of the sun god Helios.

Pamukkale

In the film by A. Konchalovsky "Odyssey" this island seems magical. Calypso's maids wash and rinse fabrics in some outlandish natural baths with turquoise water and snow-white walls. Meanwhile, these are not scenery created in the studio, but outdoor shooting. Bathtubs do exist. Only they are not on an island in the middle of the sea, but on the territory of modern Turkey, ten hours away from Istanbul by road. This unique place is named after the nearest village - Pamukkale. It means "cotton fortress" in Turkish.

Cotton does not grow here, but the name correctly reflects the visual impressions of this natural wonder. Before the eyes of numerous tourists, an absolutely white rocky hill appears, from which the water of seventeen hot springs flows down. Its minimum temperature is 35°C. The maximum is about 100°C. Basically, it's boiling water. Not only is the water hot, it is saturated with calcium salts. They have been deposited for thousands of years on rock ledges and platforms, forming the original sedimentary rock. Geologists call it travertine. It is from travertine that the underground "icicles" in karst caves - stalactites and stalagmites - are composed.

Here, in Pammukale, thanks to white travertine, natural bathtubs, sinks, depressions, sometimes entire cascades of small flat pools were formed. From space, the huge field of travertine in Pammukale looks like a white triangle elongated from north to south.

In the last quarter of the XNUMXth century, tourists were allowed to walk barefoot on travertine and swim anywhere in these natural pools. Then they banned it. There were too many tourists, and travertine is a rather fragile mineral. So after all, it was possible to trample this miracle of nature in the truest sense of the word.

Nowadays, you can swim in Pammukale, but only in specially built pools. The water in them is not only surprisingly warm, but also healthy. Its healing properties were already appreciated by the ancient Romans. They arranged for themselves in this place a water spa with mineral waters. An ancient analogue of Essentuki, in the Caucasus. An ancient city, Hierapolis, grew up near the resort. In fairness, it must be said that it arose even before the Romans, they took it under their control in the XNUMXnd century BC. e. and soon excellent baths were built here. They didn't need to heat the water. She herself rolled down the hillside in hot streams. In the XNUMXst century A.D. h. it was a fashionable Roman resort. Noble matrons, retired senators and retired military leaders went "to the waters" here.

Since that time, an amphitheater, a necropolis and the ruins of baths have remained in Hierapolis (they were destroyed by a strong earthquake). From travertine baths to archaeological excavations, the city is not far away, but tourists from all over the world come to Pammukale not for the sake of ancient foundations and tombstones. There are many of them in Europe and Asia. But travertine baths are unique. There is no other like it anywhere in the world.

Author: Afonkin S.Yu.

We recommend interesting articles Section Wonders of nature:

▪ Island Iceland

▪ Lake Iskanderkul

▪ White Cliffs of Dover

See other articles Section Wonders of nature.

Read and write useful comments on this article.

<< Back

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Finding toxins with mussels 27.03.2021

American scientists have developed a Fitbit water quality detector that monitors mussel activity.

When mussels feed, they open their shells, but if there is something harmful in the water, they immediately close. In the new system, the developers observe the behavior of the mussels to determine how often the mussels close their shells, at what speed, and how they coordinate with each other.

Specifically, the system uses two inertial measurement units (IMUs) on each mussel. Each of the IMUS includes a magnetometer and an accelerometer: your smartphone probably has these too and monitors its movement from place to place.

One IMU is attached to the top shell of the mussel, the other to the bottom. This allows researchers to compare the movement of the halves of the shell relative to each other. In other words, it allows the researchers to determine if the mussel closes its shell accurately.

When placed in a natural environment, the data collection system is solar powered and transmits sensor data wirelessly. The developed type works on four mussels connected to the system, but can handle dozens.

Other interesting news:

▪ 4 Gb LPDDR8 DRAM Mobile Memory Chips

▪ Moon origin modeled

▪ Cooling system Deepcool Gammaxx 400 EX

▪ Lunar navigation

▪ China's lunar program

News feed of science and technology, new electronics

Interesting materials of the Free Technical Library:

▪ section of the site Radio - for beginners. Article selection

▪ article Green Serpent. Popular expression

▪ article Why were cars in cartoons with oval wheels? Detailed answer

▪ article Labor protection reporting

▪ article Lighting control from any remote control. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

▪ article Electrospark pencil based on vibrating alert. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

Leave your comment on this article:

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews