Yalova Termal
The thermal springs of Termal, near Yalova, have been healing patients since c. 2000 BC. Today they still welcome visitors who want to bathe amid the giant plane trees or try out a thermal version of the Turkish bath. The walking trails and the arboretum are equally alluring.
According to legend, the thermal springs at Termal first sprang to life after an earthquake in c. 2000 BC. The region then developed into a spa during Roman times. The 17th century Ottoman travel writer Evliya Çelebi reported that the main Kurşunlu Banyo (Leaded Bath, so named because of its lead roofing) was constructed by a grateful father when his daughter was cured of scabies after bathing in the local water. The bath-house was repaired by Sultan Abdülhamit in 1900 and has been given yet another face-lift recently. There are few places nicer to swim in all of Turkey than its outdoor pool, which is surrounded by verdant fir trees. Look carefully at the outside of the bath-house and you’ll see Roman tombstones reused in its decor.
Ataturk at Termal
Turkey’s first president, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, visited Termal in 1929 and was very taken with it. He had an arboretum planted on the slopes rising up behind the baths and then had a summer house built for himself too. Finally, he ordered work to start on construction of the Termal Hotel in 1936, although this has since gone the way of so many other old buildings in Turkey. These days Atatürk’s house is open to the public, although you must visit it on a guided tour, alas given in Turkish only. The house is stuffed with Yıldız porcelain and other extravagant items that seem very ill at ease with the generally austere furnishings.
Healing waters
Experts agree that the waters of Termal are good for helping rheumatism, sciatica, gastrointestinal problems, and gall bladder diseases, regardless of whether you drink it or bathe in it. Aside from swimming in it at the Kurşunlu Banyo, you can also rent a private bathroom in the Sultan Banyo or undergo the famillar Turkish bath routine, but with the chance to take a dip in piping hot water as well at the Valide (Mother Sultan) Banyo. No matter which option you decide to go for, it’s bound to be enjoyable.
A tale of martyrdom and miracles
A sign in front of the Çınar Hotel tells the tragic story of the virgin sisters Menodora, Metrodora and Nymphodora who lived here in the early 4th century and pursued a life of Christian contemplation, healing the sick through prayer. The local prince of Bithynia heard of the women and summoned them to see him. His efforts to convert them to his own religion or to get them to marry his noble friends were unsuccessful, where upon he had them tortured to death. But as soon as he ordered their burial, the heavens opened and fire consumed the prince and the torturers. A sudden rainfall then extinguished the flames so that locals could bury the women.
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