10/24/2026
Travel Curiosities #112
The Mountain that Looks Covered in Snow but Isn't
From a distance, Pamukkale, Turkey, looks as though snow has spilled down a mountainside. Except it can be warm outside. And that's not snow.
Mineral-rich thermal water has flowed down the hillside for thousands of years, leaving brilliant white deposits. Over time, the water created terraces, pools, and formations cascading down the slope.
Its Turkish name even means "Cotton Castle."
Above this strange natural landscape are the ruins of Hierapolis, an ancient city whose residents also valued the area's thermal waters.
Geology, ancient history, and hot springs all piled into one very strange-looking mountain.
Did you think this was a glacier when you first saw the picture? Let me know what you think,