Guide
The bridge of St Philip lies in the eastern part of Hierapolis, just beyond the St Philip gate, and it is a large structure — its width reaches twelve metres — built of large rectangular travertine blocks. Only its southern side survives. It carries on the line of the paved road coming from the city centre, and crossing it brings you to the Martyrion of St Philip on the hill above.
Beside the northern side of the bridge is another building on an octagonal plan, possibly a baptistery, and immediately next to it steps climb upwards, ending at the place on the high hill where St Philip was buried — one of the most important places of pilgrimage in Asia Minor before the Byzantine period. One of the aims of the Italian archaeological team here is to raise the bridge again, which would restore the processional route running from the city to the Martyrion. The site is eighteen kilometres north of Denizli, reached by the minibuses from the bus station to the Pamukkale archaeological site.
