Hierapolis

This article is about the ancient city in Phrygia. For other uses, see Hierapolis (disambiguation).

Hierapolis
Ἱεράπολις (Greek)
Hierapolis-Pamukkale
Location within Turkey
37°55′30″N 29°07′33″E
Type	Settlement
Periods	Roman Republican to High Medieval
Location	Pamukkale, Denizli Province, Turkey
Region	Phrygia
History
Built	early 2nd century BC
Abandoned	14th century (final occasion)
Site notes
Excavation dates	1887, 1957–2008
Archaeologists	Carl Humann, Paolo Verzone
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Hierapolis-Pamukkale
Type	Mixed
Criteria	iii, iv, vii
Designated	1988 (12th session)
Reference no.	485
UNESCO Region	Europe and North America

Hierapolis (/ˌhaɪəˈræpəlɪs/; Ancient Greek: Ἱεράπολις, lit. "Holy City") was a Hellenistic Greek city in Phrygia, in southwestern Anatolia, Turkey. It was founded in the 3rd century BC, on the site of a Phrygian cult center of the Anatolian mother goddess Cybele, It was famous for its hot springs, its high quality wool fabrics and dyes, and as the birthplace of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus. Its extensive remains are adjacent to modern Pamukkale in Turkey.

The hot springs have been used as a spa since at least the 2nd century BCE, with many patrons retiring or dying there as evidenced by the large necropolis filled with tombs, most famously that of Marcus Aurelius Ammianos, which bears a relief depicting the earliest known example of a crank and rod mechanism, and the Tomb of Philip the Apostle.

Hierapolis was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. The Italian Archaeological Mission of Hierapolis of Phrygia (MAIER) has operated at the site since 1957 and is currently directed by Grazia Semeraro, Professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of Salento.