Pamukkale and Hieropolis are the same. People used to come here to be healed, many as a last resort so before anyone was treated they had to pay for their sarcophagus! Necropolis means city of the dead. The build up of calcium has been developing for 1400 years. 2000 sarcophagi were discovered here.
The above photo are of the calcium deposits; one from below and one from above.
UNESCO World heritage protected site.
We were able to hike up to the newly found tomb of Phillip. There is martyarion there dedicated to him. We also stopped on the way down to see the theater. It was so good to get out and do some exercise so I could earn my lunch!
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| Theater at Hieropolis |
Heading to Laodicea through the Lycus valley. Very fertile! Large site with ongoing archeology. 100% Turkish project. A column from the second century was unearthed that faced a wall. It had an engraved cross along with a menorah. On one side of the cross is a grape leaf and on the other an arm. Evidently, it was meant for future generations since it faced the wall and could not b seen by anyone of that day. There could be 2 different explanations: 1) the person could have been a convert from Judaism or 2) he could have been hope of peace between the two groups.
They are currently excavating a church built in @ 325 AD. Possibly the oldest known church. It is very interesting to see the archeologists at work.
This city was known for it's wealth. After an earthquake during Nero's era, Laodicea was offered money to help rebuild, but they refused saying that they could do it on their own. The people here were very wealthy and very greedy! The concept of banking in the Middle East was introduced here.
(Meander river Valley is very fertile. It is the valley we will be driving through to get to Ephesus.) Denizli is the modern name for Laodicea.
We are stopping for lunch in about an hour and a half and then we will be on our way to Ephesus. Evidently, we will be staying in a wonderful hotel which sits on the water.
Medical care - Social Security System covers both medical and pensions. Some complain because those that work pay for those that don't work! Imagine that! Medicines and hospitals are free. New medicines with less side effects (or any other reason you might want them) can be prescribed if you pay a supplement. A green card is given to those who don't have work so they can get medical care. The people with green cards, when going for medical care, wait in line with those who pay from their salaries. This is causing some tension among those who work for a living.
Lines can be really long for surgeries. Sometimes 2-3 months. They do have private hospitals that can see you immediately, but you have to buy private health insurance policies. Some companies buy it for employees so they can get back on the job more quickly. More reputable companies do this.
Pensions. Retirement age is 63. Life expectancy is 69 due to smoking. New generations are living longer because they are living more healthy lives. It used to be that the days you work determined your retirement age, but not anymore. Cost of living increases are based on the inflation rate. Top limit on retirement benefit is 7000 lira per month no matter how much you use to earn. The lowest is no lower than minimum wage.
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