Hierapolis debuts modern visitor reception centers

DENİZLİ

New visitor reception centers designed in harmony with the site’s historical fabric have been completed at the Hierapolis Archaeological Site in Pamukkale, one of Türkiye’s most important heritage destinations.

The structures, built at the Ancient Pool and South Gate areas, were designed with lightweight roofing, permeability principles and a modular system. The aim is to ensure a sustainable and flexible usage area without disrupting the ancient city’s air and light circulation.

With the new arrangement, visitor flow at the site has been made more controlled and planned, while a service infrastructure that protects the historical integrity of the ancient city has also been introduced.
At the Ancient Pool area, the new reception center brings together visitor services in a single hub. It includes a restaurant, souvenir units, kitchen facilities, prayer rooms, changing rooms, showers, technical spaces and a buggy stop area, aiming to reduce scattered and uncontrolled usage across the site.

At the South Gate, the reception center has been positioned outside the Byzantine walls and designed as a transitional space from the modern world into the ancient city. The facility includes ticket offices, buggy rental units, a cafeteria, souvenir sections and prayer areas, forming a structured visitor services hub.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said in a social media statement that the project was carried out with sensitivity to the archaeological site.
“We have completed the Ancient Pool and South Gate Visitor Reception Centers at the Hierapolis Archaeological Site, an important cultural and religious center that has survived from antiquity to the present, located right next to the Pamukkale travertines. With these structures designed based on lightweight roofing, permeability principles and a modular system, we have created a sustainable and flexible usage area without disrupting the ancient city’s air and light circulation,” Ersoy said.

He added that the Ancient Pool center consolidates visitor services, improving overall quality, while the South Gate provides a structured infrastructure marking the transition into the ancient site.
“We continue to enhance the visitor experience with an architectural approach that is respectful to historical heritage, measured and visually unobtrusive,” he said, also thanking the teams involved in the project.

The ministry stated that the new system aims to improve visitor experience by providing guidance and information services while maintaining a low-impact architectural presence that does not overshadow the ancient environment.