In southwestern Turkey, Pamukkale’s white terraces look like a staircase carved from clouds. These bright, rounded pools, stacked neatly down the hillside, form naturally from mineral springs that flow through the region. The key to their formation is the water’s unusually high concentration of calcium carbonate, a mineral that behaves much like dissolved chalk.
The process begins deep underground, where rainwater meets heated rock. As the water warms, it dissolves limestone and becomes rich with calcium minerals. When this hot spring water reaches the surface and flows down the slope, it cools rapidly. Cooler temperatures cause the dissolved minerals to settle out of the water. They harden into travertine, a form of limestone known for creating smooth, rounded shapes.
The terraces develop where the water slows down. As a thin layer of travertine forms along the edges, it gradually builds low walls that create shallow basins. Over hundreds of years, these basins expand and stack repeatedly, forming hundreds of terraces in gentle curves. The flowing water constantly adds new mineral layers, giving the site its brilliant white surface.
The rounded edges come from the way water spreads evenly across the surfaces. Flowing water never stays still long enough to create sharp corners, so the minerals settle into soft, organic shapes. The dazzling white colour is due to the purity of the calcium carbonate, which reflects sunlight strongly and makes the pools glow almost like ice.
Pamukkale’s terraces are living formations—they continue to grow and change, shaped by every drop of mineral-rich water.
Calcium springs
The water at Pamukkale carries high levels of dissolved calcium carbonate.
Travertine growth
Mineral deposits harden into smooth, rounded terraces over centuries.
Thermal source
Hot spring water cools quickly as it flows downhill.
White surface
Pure calcium carbonate reflects sunlight and appears bright white.
Living landscape
The terraces continue forming as long as the springs keep flowing.