These springs once used by Alexander the Great, Paul of Tarsus, Emperor Constantine, Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent and even the soldiers wounded in the Battle of Gallipoli.
There are hundreds or thousands of stories of miracle healings in these ancient thermal springs, which have a history that spans over 2,300 years. After all, these are the very same therapeutic mineral waters that local legend says Paul the Apostle used to revive a man from his death, hence these springs being known as the waters that bring the dead back to life.
The Kestanbol Springs facility is located just 1.5 kilometers from the ruins of Alexander Troas, which was founded by Antigonus in 310 B.C. and has kept the name Kestanbol, meaning “Old Istanbul” in reference to the region that once vied to be made the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire by Byzantine Emperor Constantine.The buildings that house the Kestanbol Springs today, the only facilities where one can experience the over 2,300-year-old springs in our time, were first built during the Ottoman era in 1895 during the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II.
The facilities underwent renovations and reopened in April of last year. In addition to housing two indoor wading pools, the facilities have 10 private bathing rooms with oversized tiled tubs and showers for day-trippers. Overnight visitors can now stay in luxury, standard or economic suites, which also all have thermal water baths allowing guests to soak in the privacy of their own hotel room. The Kestanbol Springs offer a buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner that includes freshly picked fruits, vegetables and herbs from the facility’s own organic garden, local honey, bread, yogurt, milk, free-range eggs and feta from the nearby cheese haven of Ezine. The facility also has a quaint shop where visitors can purchase regional products such as soaps, olives and preserves, and in summertime operates a fresh juice bar.
During their stay, visitors can take the 1.8-kilometer walk to the seaside, which was once the most important port between Europe and Anatolia, from where Alexander the Great would transport 10 to 15 meter-long granite columns that were manufactured in the area. Along the walk, guests will find themselves winding through the ruins of ancient Alexander Troas, once a thriving commercial centre founded during the era of Alexander the Great, which includes the remnants of a bath, theater and gymnasium, and ancient walls that span eight kilometers.
At 22 grams of minerals per liter, the Kestanbol Springs have one of the highest mineral levels in the world. In addition, the springs naturally surface at a near-boiling 79 degrees Celsius. The cold water used to temper the baths is also derived from the mineral-rich springs. Due to the unique geological structure of the region, the Kestanbol Springs are one of very few that emits a sufficiently therapeutic amount of radon gas. Known for being a natural painkiller and having sedative qualities, springs that contain radon are referred to as “the fountain of youth” for their increasing cell regeneration and healing properties, and these days are very rare.Thermal springs are known for having natural healing properties for ailments such as metabolic disorders, diabetes, joint stiffness, rheumatism, arthritis, sciatica, liver, kidney and gall bladder problems, skin diseases, such as psoriasis and eczema, and even infertility.
Using the baths for inhalation therapy helps with circulatory and respiratory disorders, while many stomach and intestinal diseases are cured through ingesting the dense mineral water.
The Kestanbol Springs are located in Ezine’s Körüktaşı village, which is just 65 kilometers south of Çanakkale, 50 kilometers from Assos, 44 kilometres from Troy and just 10 kilometres from Geyikli, where boats take off daily for the popular island destination of Bozcaada.
Source Daily Sabah
