Hotels near Necropolis of Hierapolis

The Necropolis of Hierapolis stretches for more than 2 kilometres along the road leading north from the Frontinus Gate and is among the largest ancient cemeteries in the Mediterranean. Estimates put the total number of tombs, sarcophagi, tumuli, and mausoleums at well over 1,200, spanning the Hellenistic, Roman, and early Byzantine periods. Because Hierapolis was a healing destination, many people who travelled here for the thermal waters died in the city rather than at home, and their families built elaborate funerary monuments in the surrounding fields. Access is included in the standard €30 combined ticket. The site is open-air with almost no shade, so morning light works best for both temperature and photography. Look for the circular tumulus tombs at the western edge - they represent the earliest phase of burial at the site, from the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. The nearby tomb inscriptions in Greek and Latin remain among the most detailed sources for daily life in Roman Asia Minor.

Pro Tip: Walk out to the tomb of Flavius Zeuxis, a merchant who recorded on his tombstone that he had sailed around Cape Malea to Italy 72 times - it sits along the main necropolis road and is signposted in Turkish and English.