Abstract:

In recent years, there is progress in benefitting thermal resources in a scientific manner in line with the development in medical science. Thermal resources have significance in the developed countries in the scope of tourism. Especially in the recent years, these resorts are considered as supportive and preventive health care and became attraction centers where they have various touristic activities. Thermalism is a kind of health tourism which includes the application of healing waters in the form of spa, mud and drinks which have beneficial and sometimes curing effects on the human health. In line with the developments in science and medicine, benefitting from healing waters has gained importance in the recent years. Our country, where tectonic movements are intense, has substantial amount of thermal resources. There have been several springs and spas with various specifications and degrees of heat in all around Turkey. The healing waters which have an important role for people, who are seeking for health, comprise a significant section in the travel book of Evliya Çelebi. In the book, the methods, purpose and reasons in use of these resources for the people of that era were explained in detail. In this research which is restricted in the Anatolian region, the information provided by Evliya Çelebi about spas is studied in comparison of the characteristics of that era and today’s thermal tourism were similar to the results that were obtained today’s scientific analyzes.

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