Ancient Medical Schools & Spas of Kings and Queens
From the philosophical prescriptions of Herodicus to the royal baths of Cleopatra, Anatolia has long been a cradle of medical wisdom and therapeutic tradition. This land, home to pioneering medical schools, renowned physicians, and sacred healing sanctuaries, laid the foundations for holistic wellness as early as antiquity. Cities like Knidos, Pergamon, and Ephesus shaped the course of health history with their influential scholars, innovative treatments, and mineral-rich thermal springs that once welcomed emperors and queens. Today, their legacy lives on in Türkiye’s modern wellness culture, inviting visitors to walk in the footsteps of ancient healers.
KNIDOS
• Home to a prestigious medical school and world-renowned physicians in ancient times
• Homeland of Euryphon, who was considered a contemporary of Hippocrates
• Birth place of “healthy life” philosophy, strict diet, constant physical activity and regular education
ANAVARZA
• In UNESCO WHL temporary list
• Once the Capital of Cilicia
• The city where botanic medicine and pharmacology developed
• The city where famous Materia Medica was written by Dioscurides, a Roman army physician, a botanist and pharmacognosy scholar known as the father of pharmacy
PERGAMON
• “The most illustrious city in Asia Minor” according to the ancient historian, Pliny the Elder
• The thermal springs of Pergamon made the city one of the principal centres of healing and beauty in antiquity, and many of them have survived to the present day.
• One of the major thermal spas of Pergamon is within the Sanctuary of Asclepius (Güzellik Ilıcası) which is 4 km from Bergama.
• In UNESCO WHL list since 2014
• One of the oldest and most famous healing centres of the ancient world, the Asklepion
• The birthplace of Galen, the great physician, who led the way for modern medicine today
ALLIANOI
• One of the ancient health centres of Anatolia
• 120 stadia (23-25 km) away from Pergamon.
• Cult centre dedicated to the God of Health, Asclepius
PAMUKKALE (Cotton Castles)
• A world-renowned thermal centre at the UNESCO WHL list since 1988
• “The cotton castle”, famous for its calcite travertines full of warm, mineral-rich waters
• Hierapolis, an ancient spa city during Roman times
• White limestone travertines shaped by calcium and iron-rich hot springs
• Visitors to Hierapolis can swim in Cleopatra’s Pool
• Hot pools form on each shelf cascading down to the ground like a fluffy waterfall heals cardiovascular diseases, rheumatism, skin and nerve diseases
EPHESUS
• Was one of the most important metropolises of the ancient world. So, it's no surprise that it was also a centre for medicine as well.
• Birthplace of the famous physicist and author of many medical books, Soranus, and another expert in anatomy and medical sciences, Rufus
• Another Ephesian doctor whose statue is located in the Curetes Street is Alexandros
BASILICA THERMA
• Built on ancient Aquae Sarvenae
• The most unique thermal bath of Roman architecture preserved in Anatolia
• Included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2018
For more information about ancient and modern Thermal & Wellness centres in Türkiye visit https://wellness.goturkiye.com/
