THERMAL TOURISM

At the last count there was over 1,000 thermal springs in Turkey, offering their therapeutic qualities to the Roman civilisations which inhabited western Anatolia region and providing bags of untapped tourism potential to today's government. The natural resource that the thermal springs in Turkey provide is valuable to the country.

The Romans, recognising the benefit of the springs, built the city of Hierapolis close to the "cotton castle" at Pamukkale - a wondrous site of hot springs in the inner Aegean region.Although there are 17 registered thermal spas in Turkey and mud baths in Turkey, the main locations can be split up into five sections: Bursa, Kangal Sivas, The Balcova Springs, Cesme and Dalyan

True to form, the Roman Emperor Justinian built the baths at Bursa. The resort of Cerkige, to the west of Bursa, is the place to find numerous spas in Turkey and spa hotels, some offering beauty and health treatments

Situated on the Roman site of the Baths of Agamemnon - possibly the first hydrotherapy site in the ancient world - the Balcova hot thermal springs in Turkey are used to this day for their therapeutic capabilities.

To the west of Izmir, Cesme (which literally means fountain or spring in Turkish) is home to the sites of Sifne Pasa Harbour, Buyuk Liman, Alacati and the Bay of Boyalik, featuring soothing springs and thermal baths.

Dalyan boasts the thermal resort of Sultanye, where the baths were first used in Caunon times by the Byzantine civilisation. Ruins from this period are situated under the nearby Koycegiz Lake.

With aforementioned destinations merely a sample of the huge number of spas and thermal springs in Turkey, it is not surprising that the government has planned a huge campaign in thermal tourism.

The Thermal Tourism Cities Project (TTCP) was launched by the ministry of culture and tourism last year, with the aim of making Turkey the top destination in the world for thermal tourism by 2023.

Thermal Treatment