Historic sources has located the site
of the under-world, in the ancient Phrygian city ofHierapolis, now called Pamukkale,
and described the openingas filled with lethal
mephitic vapours.
The opening, Known as Pluto's
Gate was celebrated as the portal to
theunderworld
in Greco-Roman
mythology and tradition.
In a report,
Pluto's Gate Uncovered in Turkey, Italian
archaeologists announced the opening as ‘gate to hell’.
In similar vein, the Greek
geographer, Strabo (between 64/63 BC
--about 24
AD) wrote, “This space is full of a
vapor so misty and dense that one canscarcely see the ground. Any animal that
passes inside meetsinstant death.
“I threw in
sparrows and they immediately breathed their lastand fell”.
The discovery
was made by a team led byFrancesco
D'Andria, professor of classic
archaeology at theUniversity of Salento. D'Andria has conducted extensive archaeological research atthe World Heritage Site of Hierapolis – two years ago, where heclaimed to have discovered the tomb of Saint Philip, one of the12 apostles of Jesus Christ.
Hierapolis was founded by Eumenes
II, King of Pergamum.
Historic sources has located the site
of the under-world, in the ancient Phrygian city of Hierapolis, now called Pamukkale,
and described the opening as filled with lethal
mephitic vapours.