Roman era Gate of Hell restoration in Turkey nears end

By Ahmet Bayram

DENIZLI, Turkey

A Roman era “Gate to Hell” in southwestern Denizli province will soon be open to tourists following completion of restoration works, according to a provincial tourism official.

“The restoration of the place has already come to the final stages; this September we will open it to visitors,” Hasan Huseyin Baysal, provincial museum manager, told Anadolu Agency.

The gate in Hierapolis-Pamukkale, which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has several myths associated with it and is known for emitting a cloud of carbon dioxide since two millennia.

According to a popular legend, the gate called Plutonium in reverence for Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld, takes lives of those who don't believe in the myth, according to ancient Greece geographer, Strabo.

People used to send animals to the site as part of their ritual offering to the god.

Archeological studies have uncovered that animals and people both died amid the saturated carbon dioxide.

The ancient Hierapolis-Pamukkale site has several different antiques erected on the third and fourth century reminding one of that specific era.

Pamukkale also has thermal spring waters that are believed to be a cure for many diseases; waterfalls, and forests also entice visitors to the ancient city of Hierapolis.

“Deriving from springs in a cliff almost 200 meters high overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have created an unreal landscape in Pamukkale [Cotton Palace], made up of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and a series of terraced basins,” according to UNESCO.

“The monumental and archaeological remains truthfully and credibly express the Outstanding Universal Value of the property in terms of its setting, form, and materials,” it added.