Cleopatra’s Pool is the thermal pool of Hierapolis, at the top of the Pamukkale terraces: a basin of warm, naturally fizzy water at 36°C where the columns, capitals and friezes of a Roman temple portico, brought down by an earthquake, still lie. You swim among two-thousand-year-old stones in the shade of the pines, which is why it is one of the moments people remember most from a trip to Türkiye.
It also raises plenty of questions: is the extra charge worth it, what should you bring, when is it quiet? Here is what I tell the travellers I guide.
A little history
The sacred spring of Hierapolis rose beside the Temple of Apollo, and around it grew a sanctuary with porticoes and columns where the sick came to bathe. An earthquake, probably in the 7th century, toppled the portico into the pool, and there it stayed. The Ottomans and local people carried on bathing among the ruins, and in the 20th century it was fitted out as a pool with changing rooms and a café.
The Cleopatra connection is a legend: Mark Antony is said to have given her the city, and she is said to have bathed here. There is no evidence for it, but the name has won out over the official one, the Antique Pool.
What to see at Cleopatra’s Pool
The water
Thermal, at about 36°C, lightly sparkling and rich in minerals that make it feel soft on the skin. Where the spring wells up, you can watch the bubbles rise. This is not a pool for swimming lengths: it is one for floating and looking around.
The columns and capitals
On the bottom, and breaking the surface, lie column shafts, Corinthian capitals and pieces of architrave. You can sit on them and watch small fish dart between the stones. That is what makes this pool unlike any other.
The terrace
All around is a terrace with a café and tables under the pines, looking over the whole pool. Anyone who isn’t swimming waits here at no extra cost, and the view alone is worth the time.
The museum next door
The Roman baths next door house the Hierapolis museum, which is included in the general ticket: sarcophagi, statues and the reliefs from the theatre. A good way to pass the time while you dry off.
Tips for your visit
Allow an hour, including getting changed. The pool has steps down into it and shallow areas; the bottom is uneven because of the stones.
- Wear your swimsuit under your clothes and bring a towel and flip-flops: the changing rooms are basic and the lockers cost extra.
- It is quiet first thing in the morning or after 16:00; between 11:00 and 15:00 it fills up with groups.
- In strong heat, water at 36°C is tiring: half an hour is enough. If you have high blood pressure or are pregnant, check with your doctor first.
- Children love it; there are shallow areas, but the stones on the bottom mean you need to keep an eye on them.
- You don’t have to swim to see it: watching from the terrace costs nothing extra.
Tickets and prices
At the time of writing (2026), a swim is an extra of about €6, on top of the €35 combined ticket for Pamukkale and Hierapolis. Watching from the terrace and visiting the museum are covered by the general ticket. On my tours, I arrange the swim ticket for anyone who wants to swim.
Where it is and how to get there
The pool is in the centre of Hierapolis, next to the museum: a ten-minute walk from the top of the Pamukkale terraces and five minutes from the museum entrance, where there is a car park. From Pamukkale village you walk up the terraces, barefoot, in about 25 minutes.
How I include it in my tours
I save it for the end of the visit to Hierapolis, after the theatre and before the walk down the terraces, on the Pamukkale, Hierapolis and Karahayıt day tour. On multi-day tours such as Classic Türkiye 10 Days, the swim is optional, with time set aside for it. For the terraces themselves, read my guide to Pamukkale’s travertine pools.
If you would like time for a swim built into your route, tell me about your tailor-made trip.