Turkey surrounded by sea on its three sides presents natural thermal sources and modern thalasso cares to health and beauty of entire world.
Usage for resting and health of natural thermal and mineralized waters are equal to mankind history, it is called "Ilica" (thermal place] in Turkish where hot waters come out. It is started to be called as "kapaliicarsi" (covered thermal place) by establishing facility and hamam in these areas and "kaplica" (spa) word is improved later on. Turks united the "Mancu" (steam bath] tradition that they brought to Anatolia with Roman hammams and so "Turkish Bath" ansed. "Turkish Spa Bath" is created by usage of thermal waters in pools. The spa tradition maintains its existence today as a socio-cultural concept by means of rich mineralized hot water resources of our country.
The usage of spas for maintaining - improving health, treatment and rehabilitation is a tradition continuing in Europe at first, also in Asia, Africa and America and steadily growing stronger by scientific knowledge accumulation. Spa mediums which are far from the stress and tautness that "contemporary" life "brings" becomes an ideal choice not only for physical - bodily health but also mental - spiritual health.
Some natural and traditional methods such as exercises, massages, diets and nourishments are performed in many spa centers as well as thermal bahts, mineral spring cures and steam baths which are applications peculiar to spas.

Everybody has at least one reason to have "spa cure" by stopovering in a spa region for 1-2 weeks or 10-12 days or a few days every weekend or in weekdays without waiting to get sick;
•Maintain and improvement of health
•To be far away from daily stress; "reducing stress"
•To be alone on your own
•Gaining physical and spiritual liveliness
•Healthy nourishment and diet
•Getting rid of excessive weight
•Painless physical and uncorcerned spiritual activities
•Learning a healthy life by living it
•To have a healthy holiday or having a health holiday.

But spa treatment as cures of 10,15 and 21 days are useful and effective as out of medicine treatment method for many illnesses like rheumatism:
• Rheumatismal illnesses
• Skin problems
• Illnesses of respiration system
• Metabolism illnesses
• Hearth circulation system illnesses

Thalassotherapy in Turkey; from natural resources to modern thalasso centers

The use of thalassotherapy dates back to ancient times in the main land of Turkey i.e. Anatolia (Asia Minor). The specific climatic conditions along the Turkish coastal areas provide proper thalassotherapeutic factors. The beneficial effects of solar radiation are available from May to October all daytime. The degree of salinity and the temperature of seawater are suitable for natural sea bathing.

Recently, there has been an growing interest in investing and establishing thalassotherapy facilities around these coastal areas considering the favorable climatic characteristics of the coastal regions of Turkey. Resort hotels located on these Turkish coasts that are aiming to attract sea, sun and sand holiday makers, have newly opened thalassotherapy and spa facilities trying to attract the possible clienteles of health tourism. Most of these facilities are located on the Mediterranean Sea coast mainly so-called Turkish Riviera, Antalya and surroundings namely Kemer, Belek, Side and Manavgat. These are followed by the Resorts in Aegean Sea coast located in the summer holiday towns such as Bodrum (near Muglal and Cesme (near Izmir). Cesme being a historical and traditional spa town, has an extra advantage by having thermal water springs which can be used in balneotherapeutic applications beside the thalassotherapeutic ones. Currently, there is only one thalasso center which is an inbuilt facility of a sea side Resort in Istanbul located in Silivri, 60km west of Istanbul, on the Marmara Sea coast.

The present thalassotherapy facilities are mainly focused on wellness, beauty and relaxation treatments for "healthy" individuals rather than therapy and rehabilitation programs for patients. On the other hand, patients with some dermatological conditions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and with some rheumatologic diseases such as fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis might benefit from a thalassotherapeutic cure in one of these thalassotherapy centers on coastal areas of Turkey.