Hierapolis

Ancient city in Syria, on the road from Antioch to Iraq. It was the centre of worship of the goddess of love and war Astarte, whose temple was sacked by the Roman general Crassus 53 BC.

At one time the city was an important centre of the cotton and silk trade. Its decline dates from the Mongol invasion. Romanus Diogenes captured it 1068 and it was stormed by the Egyptian sultan Saladin 1175 during his conquest of Syria.

Hierapolis

Cybele, the earth goddess of Phrygian mythology (Ephesus Museum, Selçuk, Turkey). She became known to the Greeks as Artemis, virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon, and to the Romans as Diana.

Hot springs at Pamukkale (ancient Hierapolis), southwestern Turkey. First established during the 2nd century BC and once the capital of Phrygia, Hierapolis lies along the Coruh River, a tributary of the Menderes. The hot, calcite-laden springs, used for their medicinal properties today as well as in ancient times, have deposited masses of white travertine and given the city its modern name, Pamukkale (‘cotton palace’ in Turkish). The city is now a UNESCO world heritage site.

Ancient city in Phrygia. It was a centre of the worship of the Earth goddess Cybele, the birthplace of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus, and an early seat of Christianity.