THERMAL TOURISM IN TURKEY

 

Thermal tourism, which has continued for years, is a health tourism sector by combining treatment types such as physical therapy, climate cure, exercise, rehabilitation and psychotherapy, as well as activities such as hot and mineral-rich underground waters and water bath, breathing, mineral spring, mud bath. Health services, which are mostly rehabilitative and offered together with thermal waters, environmental and climatic factors, physician supervision and the necessary applications in the program, have become a treatment approach that has become increasingly important and widespread in the world in recent years, through modern facilities. People wishing a healthy life have been looking for a country that offers quality and affordable health services. Thermal tourism has gradually increased its importance as a part of health tourism by offering solutions to these pursuits.

Treatment is targeted in regions where geothermal waters such as natural resources, thermal pools, steam therapies, Turkish baths, saunas and thermal springs are located by emphasizing the relaxing and healing effect of thermal tourism with health tourism applications in the global market. Individuals benefiting from thermal tourism are required to stay for a certain period of time due to the requirement of the treatments. This characteristic of thermal tourism provides an increase in economic contribution on the basis of business and country. Turkey is a country located in the Alpine-Himalayan belt and therefore has a high geothermal potential. Geothermal resources in Turkey are the product of volcanism associated with Anatolian fault zones. While the zones in western Anatolia have high temperatures due to younger tectonic effects, the zones in eastern Anatolia have low and medium temperatures due to the volcanism and fault zones in the northern and central Anatolia. Turkey is among the top seven countries in the world in terms of the abundance and potential of geothermal resources. Our thermal water resources in Turkey are rich in sulphur, radon and salt, with high molten mineral value, as well as being of natural origin and high flow. There are approximately 1,300 thermal springs for thermal tourism. Denizli was declared as a "Thermal Tourism Center" in 2006 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in terms of thermal water resources.

 

Türkiye, Alp-Himalaya kuşağında bulunan bir ülkedir ve bundan dolayı jeotermal açıdan yüksek bir potansiyele sahiptir. Türkiyedeki jeotermal kaynaklar Anadolu fay zonları ile ilişkili olan volkanizma ürünüdür. Batı Anadolu da bulunan zonlar daha genç tektonik etkilerden dolayı yüksek sıcaklık içerirken, doğu, kuzey ve orta Anadolu’daki volkanizma ve fay zonlarının etkisiyle düşük ve orta sıcaklığa sahiptirler. Türkiye jeotermal kaynakların çokluğu ve potansiyeli açısından dünya genelinde ilk yedi ülke arasında bulunmaktadır. Türkiyedeki termal su kaynaklarımız doğal çıkışlı ve yüksek debili olması yanı sıra, eriyik maden değeri yüksek, kükürt, radon ve tuz bakımından da zengindir. Termal turizm olanağı için yaklaşık 1.300 termal kaynak bulunmaktadır. Termal su kaynakları bakımından, Denizli ili, Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı tarafından 2006 yılında “Termal Turizm Merkezi” ilan edilmiştir.

 

 

THERMAL SPRING TREATMENT TYPES

 

Thermal springs are known to be good for many diseases such as rheumatism, calcification and muscle pain. In some tourism facilities, there may be gas and mud baths as well as thermal pools. Because there is a cure in thermal springs tourism, there are health tourism types that include treatments that can be applied outside the thermal spring.

These types of tourism are physiotherapies, Talossotherapies, Hydrotherapies, Balneotrapies, Peloidotherapy and Climatherapy.

 

 

WHICH DISEASES ARE TREATED IN THERMAL SPRINGS?

 

  • Calcifications,

  • Inflammatory rheumatism,

  • Soft tissue rheumatism,

  • Mechanical back and neck problems,

  • Pain depending on the working conditions and environment,

  • Orthopedic problems, fracture sequelae, surgical complications,

  • Sports injuries,

  • Muscle diseases,

  • Problems due to neurological damage,

  • Skin Disorders,

  • Some gynecological diseases

  • Disorders due to weight and liposis in the blood.

 

 

PRIMARY CITIES WITH THERMAL SPRINGS AND MINERAL SPRINGS, TREATED DISEASES IN TURKEY

 

Adana: Avluk, Narlık, Yeşilova Thermal Springs, Haruniye (skin and rheumatism)

Adıyaman: Çelikhan Mineral Spring (stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder, kidney stones) Çömrük and Kuruçay Thermal Springs (hemorrhoids, rheumatism)

Afyonkarahisar: Gazlıgöl (neural system, kidneys, rheumatism) Gece (neural system, skin, rheumatism), Heybeli Hüdai (kidneys, sciatic, rheumatism, Ömer Thermal Springs (skin, neural system, rheumatism)

Amasya: Ilısı, Terzi Köy Thermal Springs, Armut (skin, rheumatism), Gözlek (skin, rheumatism), Hamam, Hamamözü Thermal Springs (skin, rheumatism)

Ankara: Kızılcahamam (rheumatism, sciatic, gynecological diseases, circulatory disorders, gastrointestinal diseases), Ayaş Thermal and Mineral Springs (physical rehabilitation, hemiparalysis and spine, muscle and joint diseaeases, digestive system), Haymana (polio and orthopedic diseases), Beypazarı Mineral Springs (rheumatism, skin)

Antalya: Damlataş Thermal Spring (bronchitis), Kaş Mineral Springs, Demre Mineral Springs (indigestion, intestinal parasites), Cevinde Thermal Spring (skin, sciatic and rheumatism)

Aydın: Kükürtlü Thermal Spring (rheumatism), İmamköy (neural system), Ortakçı Health Spa (kidneys and gallbladder), Kızıldere Buharkent Thermal Springs (calcification and rheumatism)

Balıkesir: Acısu (stomach, intestines), Altınsuyu (stomach, kidneys) Ekşisu (skin), Gönen (rheumatism, skin, chest), Hisaralan (stomach, skin, rheumatism), Ilıca (sciatica), Ilıcaoba (skin), Kum Health Spa (skin), Kepekler Thermal Springs (skin, rheumatism).

Bingöl: Çerme (rheumatism), Haçyan Hot Spring (skin), Harar (skin) Ingan Hot Spring (skin), Kös Thermal Springs (skin, rheumatism)

Bitlis: Alemdar Hot Spring (skin), Köprüaltı Hot Spring (skin), Çim Hot Spring (ear), Acısu Hot Spring (skin), Köçür Hot Spring (skin, rheumatism), Sabkür Hot Spring (skin)

Bolu: Babas (skin, rheumatism), Büyük (rheumatism), Çatlak (sciatic, rheumatism) Küçük (sciatic, rheumatism), Paylı Thermal Springs (skin)

Burdur: Çerçin, İn Thermal Springs (diabetes, eczama, gastritis)

Bursa:  Çekirge (rheumatism, skin, sciatic, neural system), Armutlu (skin, kidneys, rheumatism, asthma) Gemlik, Oylat Thermal Springs (rheumatism, skin)

Çanakkale: Kestanbol (skin, nephrite, rheumatism), Külcüler (skin, rheumatism), Kırkgeçit (skin), Terzialanı Thermal Springs (paralysis)

Çankırı: Acısu (intestines), Akkaya (skin, rheumatism) Bayındır (intestines), Çavundur (skin), Karacaviran (skin), Kazanca Thermal Springs (stomach).

Denizli: Pamukkale (heart, vascular, neural systems), Karahayıt (gall, rheumatism), Yenice Thermal Springs (stomach, intestines, gall, liver)

Diyarbakır: Çermik Thermal Spring (skin, rheumatism)

Erzurum: Çermik (rheumatism skin), Çermik-Oltu (rheumatism), Ilıca Thermal Springs (skin)

Eskişehir: Eskişehir Thermal Spring, Sakarya Hot Spring

Hatay: Reyhanlı Hamamat Thermal Springs, Kisecik Köyü Healing Water (neuritis, neuralgia, rheumatism) Erzin Başlamış Thermal Springs (intestines, liver, stomach, rheumatism, gall, respiratory passage)

İstanbul: Büyük İçmece (liver, stomach, intestines), Esenyurt, Tuzla Thermal Springs (neuralgia, stomach, rheumatism)

İzmir: Agememnun (rheumatism, stomach, kidney), Bademli (stomach, instestines, liver), Bozköy (stomach, intestines, liver), Cumalı (stomach, intestines) Çeşme (skin, rheumatism), Deliömer (kidneys), Dereköy (skin), Dikili (rheumatism), Doğanbey (stomach, intestines, liver, gall) Şifne Thermal Springs (stomach, intestines, liver, gall)

Kırşehir: Bulamaçlı (rheumatism, neuralgia, gynecological diseases), Karakurt (rheumatism), Terme Thermal Springs (kidneys, rheumatism)

Kütahya: Dereli (liver, gall, kidney), Gediz (liver, rheumatism) Göbel (kidney), Hamamköy (stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys, gall) Ilıca (liver, gall, rheumatism), Mount Murat (liver, gall, kidneys), Naşa (vessel stiffness, blood pressure), Yoncalı Thermal Springs (kidneys, intestines, gall, sciatic, rheumatism)

Malatya: Balaban ve İspendere Mineral Waters

Manisa: Emirler (gall, rheumatism, liver, gynecological diseases), Ilıcak (kidneys), Kurşunlu (skin, sciatic, rheumatism, gall, respiration, liver), Menteşe (gynecological diseases), Sart Thermal Springs (rheumatism, skin)

Mardin: Asın Gürün (intestines), Belceğiz (intestines), Bozüyük (skin, liver, heart, gall), Gebeler (skin, sciatic, rheumatism, liver, stomach, intestines), Gölenye (stomach, intestines), Kalemiye (stomach, intestines, kidneys), Karaada (rheumatism), Kel Girne (skin), Sepetçiler Kaplıcaları (intestines)

Muğla: Köyceğiz Sultaniye Thermal Spring (rheumatism, skin, liver, gynecological diseases), Bodrum Karaada Thermal Spring, Dalaman İnce Bel Thermemaris Thermal Spring (rheumatism, calcification, neural and digestive systems, gynecological diseases)

Nevşehir: Bahçeli Mineral Spring-Ürgüp (kidneys), Bayramhacılı Thermal Springs-Avanos (rheumatism and skin diseases), Gümüşkent-Salanda Mineral Spring (liver and gallbladder), Çorak and Karakaya Mineral Springs (stomach and intestines), Çökek Mineral Springs-Ürgüp (digestive, hemorrhoid, parasite cleanse, skin)

Sakarya: Kuzuluk Thermal Spring (the rehabilitation of the results of orthopedic surgeries and accidents, blood circulation and heart disorders, stomach, intestines, liver and gallbladder, chronic inflammations, skin, neural systems, respiratory passage, polio and some children diseases, calcification, bone fractures-dislocations, excess weight, kidney stones, rheumatism), Çökek Thermal Springs (rheumatism, sciatic, itchiness)

Samsun: Havza (every type of rheumatism, neuralgia, nephrite, polyneuritis, fracture-dislocation sequels, gynecological diseases) Ladik, Mahamyağı, Hilyaz Thermal Springs (neural systems, nephritis, polio)

Siirt: Bestemeremi (rheumatism), Billüris (skin, lumbago, sciatic, rheumatism), Hısta Thermal Springs (rheumatism)

Sivas: Kangal Balıklı Thermal Spring (scars caused by inflammation on the skin tissue, eczema, festering acnes and psoriasis are cured by fishes), Sıcak Hot Spring (rheumatism, neural systems, respiratory passage, digestive system, metabolism disorders, kidneys and urinary tract, blood circulation, muscle pain, gynecological diseases) Soğuk Hot Spring (stomach, intestines, gallbladder)

Tokat: Sulu Saray Thermal Springs (rheumatism, neuralgia and skin diseases), Reşadiye Thermal Spring (rheumatism, orthopedic fracture-dislocations) Başören Mineral Spring-Sarılık Water (digestion organs, kidney stones)

Yalova: Thermal Springs (liver, gallbladder, skin, gynecological diseases, psychological disorders, urinary tracts, rheumatism), Armutlu Thermal Springs (respiratory diseases with the method of steam breathing, urinary tract inflammations, osteoporosis, circulatory disorders, post-surgery rehabilitation, herniated disc-cervical disc, calcification)