Why? Since naftalan is a type of oil as well as the name of the town where it was discovered, saying naftalan oil is a bit like saying oil oil to an Azerbaijani. Considering what hes just been through, hes incredibly cheerful. It wasnt just a part of the local economy. It was the local economy. I couldnt blame him: scraping oil from strangers bodies every half-an-hour doesnt sound like my ideal Tuesday afternoon. On the one hand, the oil baths were one hell of an experience, and I could sense the coming explosion of interest from tourists on the horizon once travel to Azerbaijan starts to become more common, as is currently the case in neighbouring Georgia. That's how we know our reviews come from real guests who have stayed at the property. Click here to see nearby hotels, . 64, AZ4600 Naftalan, Azerbaijan But soon after arriving youll spot a hotel, or a spa. Thankfully the period of tension is over. If you want to see how were doing on our journey, check out ourLive Updatespage.

Whats it like Growing up in the Jehovahs Witnesses. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. In recent years, the local government is working hard to restore Naftalan to its former glory, and hopes to attract Western tourists in the near future. Red flag number two was one of the chemicals that makes the oil unique; Naphthalene. - Physiotherapy.

Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, express or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. If I asked you where the Caucasus were, would you be able to point them out on a map? The opening of the main building took place in 2007, in 2008 a new sleeping building was opened. Nodding Donkeys (Oil Pumps) outside Shirvan, Azerbaijan. And another. This article isnt about politics, geography or economics, but lets get a few facts down about the country Ill be talking about before we go any further; Azerbaijan. But I left the Sanatorium feeling conflicted. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. During this time, patients may take 10-15 sessions baths with mandatory breaks , under the supervision of specialist doctors. The qualities of Naftalan oil has been known since early times; Modern use of the oil has dated to the 1870s under Czarist Russia. Ilqan, the owner of the Naftalan Sanatorium, working in his office. Travel company that specializes in organizing events and conferences, teambuilding, leisure and business trips for corporate clients and for individuals in Azerbaijan. Free private parking available at the hotel, Select dates to see this property's availability and prices. On a cycle tour that takes you off the beaten path, you often stumble across some of the more unique aspects of different cultures and traditions. There are more places to choose from in the. Booking.com will make efforts to obscure email addresses, phone numbers, websites, social media accounts, and similar details. He raised a hand, coated in oil, from the surface and gave me an OK symbol with his thumb and forefinger. The conflict claimed the lives of some 30,000 people from both sides and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. Buses run daily from the Baku International Bus Terminal to Naftalan. Some 30km from the skyscraper-encrusted shorelines of Baku, an entire town built on oil rigs weathers the choppy waters of the Caspian Sea. Write a full question containing a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 300 characters, and don't share any personal info.

Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Its also present in cigarette smoke and exhaust fumes, and is the main active ingredient in mothballs; balls of pesticides used to kill you guessed it moths. The average annual temperature is +14.8 degrees. That means that the body can interact with the oil. Because their parents were unable to have children, and they came here for fertility treatment with the Naftalan oil. Id be staying at the Naftalan Sanatorium for the next four nights and, after getting settled in my room and letting my legs recover from a long and unexpectedly hilly day of cycling, I headed down to the foyer to look around. - Naftalan baths Japanese company creates clone dolls that reside in the "uncanny valley.". The city of Naftalan consists of a city and two villages. But doctors and patients at Naftalan brush aside any misgivings and the sanatorium even has a small museum displaying crutches that once belonged to patients who have recovered from their illnesses. Around the world, there are about 100 people who are named Naftalan. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, a pool, and an on-site restaurant. Booking.com is a distributor (without any obligation to verify) and not a publisher of these questions and answers. 1565870|4,1561630,1565100,1561950,1541780,1548020|4,1565870,1550800,1557080,1565100|1,1550830|3,1565080,1550830,1553180,1561220,1563880,1565670, Park Naftalan Sanatorium Complex (Hotel) (Azerbaijan) Deals, Personal or sensitive info (e.g. I was paranoid after hearing about the potential health risks of overexposure to naftalan, so I scrubbed myself clean for ages. All content should be genuine and unique to the guest. Thanks! The country was part of the Soviet Union until 1991, meaning that although its history is full of Turkic influence, and the main language is very similar to Turkish, much of the country still has the practical and purpose-built vibe of the ex-USSR. Please dont include personal, political, ethical, or religious commentary. NOTE: I often write Naftalan oil when describing it. To get the overall score, we add up all the review scores and divide that total by the number of review scores we received. Its also present in cigarette smoke and exhaust fumes, and is the main active ingredient in mothballs; balls of pesticides used to kill you guessed it moths.

I couldnt blame him: scraping oil from strangers bodies every half-an-hour doesnt sound like my ideal Tuesday afternoon. In 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese used this oil as a first medical aid. At last, I was left to my own devices in the shower. In. The Naftalan clinics have somehow managed to advertise themselves as both a medical treatment and a spa therapy, and have created their own economy, providing jobs to people who need them, revenue for an entire town, and a sense of comfort for visiting patients. Does Qasalti Sanatorium have an airport shuttle? Its important not to expose yourself to cold temperatures afterwards. On a cycle tour that takes you off the beaten path, you often stumble across some of the more unique aspects of different cultures and traditions. Its very good. If it works in that sense, then who am I to judge those that take the decision to travel hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of miles to take a dip in black gold? Fortunately, I was given the all-clear, and after a quick lunch with Ayxan, we headed to the bathing facilities. Some had very severe and obvious conditions, while others, it turned out, were here for preventative measures or simply R&R. They had a camel with them that could not go any further because it was too weak. Then, hes up and stretching. What happens if someone lights one of those too close to the oil? I nodded towards one of the smokers. The oil of Naftalan is claimed to be especially beneficial against psoriasis, arthritis and rheumatism. Royal, the assistant, flipped a sand timer and placed it on the side of the bath as Ayxan waited patiently in a corner; 10 minutes left. Hotel GARABAG SPA & RESORT is located on a beautiful and well-kept territory of Naphtalan resort area that proved to be a world famous place with its unique naphthalan oil deposits well-known for more than 600 years thanks to its healing properties. The original main religion, Zoroastrianism, worshipped fire, and there is an image of a flame at the centre of the national emblem. Some use the term Azeri, but thats considered offensive to people who live within its boundaries whilst being part of one of the countrys many minority communities. For it was here that I met Vladamir Iakovlev, who would become a sort of unofficial guide during my stay in Naftalan once Ayxan had left. The small town of Naftalan some 300 kilometers (185 miles) from the capital Baku became a popular health resort for Soviet citizens in the 1920s. Its very good. and U.S.A. consider naphthalene to be carcinogenic, meaning it increases your chances of developing cancer, although no direct link between the disease and the oil has been proven. Is Qasalti Sanatorium located near the city center? Why? The area is popular for cycling, and car rental is available at Park Naftalan Sanatorium Complex. Approximate prices in EUR for a 1-night stay, This property has taken extra health and hygiene measures to ensure your safety is their priority, Great location and facilities for couples. Booking.com does not accept responsibility or liability for any reviews or responses. I have problems with compression of my vertebrae in my spine, so this treatment will pull them apart. Guests submit their subscores and their overall scores independently theres no direct link between them. What pushes people to take a dip in black gold, what makes Naftalan oil special, and what other bizarre, alternative medical therapies are hidden in the Azerbaijani countryside? Medical oil called Naftalan (Naphthalene ) is produced in the city. Out. Its located at an altitude of 225 m above sea level. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Copyright 19962022 Nodding Donkeys (Oil Pumps) outside Shirvan, Azerbaijan. I glanced around at the others who were here for their own reasons. The native of Russia's Tatarstan region said she and her friends "have long dreamed of coming" for treatment in Naftalan. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Naftalan (literally translated as taking the oils) is thus the only spa town in the world where treatments do not involve water, but oil. I spent 10 minutes soaking in a bathtub full of Naftalan, a form of crude oil. If I leaned too far back, my legs would be pushed upwards by their buoyancy. Booking.com is a distributor (without any obligation to verify) and not a publisher of these comments and responses. As a result of the collapse of the USSR and Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan, the number of visitors to the resort began to decline sharply in 1991. If you stayed at this property through Booking.com, you can write a review. Park Naftalan Sanatorium Complex has a restaurant, bar, a shared lounge and garden in Naftalan. We contribute 300,000 manat ($176,500) to our town through taxes per year. Not exactly appealing when you put it like that. Please avoid using profanity or attempts to approximate profanity with creative spelling, in any language. Not exactly appealing when you put it like that. Your current currency is Euro, Choose your language. 10 minutes went fast as I explained the sensations to the blinking red light on a camera in front of me. Recreation center Gozel Naftalan. Guests can also give separate subscores in crucial areas, such as location, cleanliness, staff, comfort, facilities, value, and free WiFi. A table across from us, a severely handicapped girl in a wheelchair sat with her mother. How to get to Park Naftalan Sanatorium Complex from Gyandzha Airport. And why have displaced people been living in an abandoned Soviet hospital in Georgia for 28 years? To edit a review youve already submitted, contact our Customer Service team. "In the past, when there weren't any hotels or sanatoriums, people would come to Naftalan and stay with locals," said one of the doctors at the Sehirli sanatorium, Fabil Azizov, sitting in her office under a portrait of President Ilham Aliyev. Get exclusive access to members-only deals by email. It was strong. It has a tonne of mud-volcanoes, so much natural gas and oil spewing from the countryside that I once passed a puddle of water that was on fire, and is involved in an ongoing conflict with its neighbour, Armenia, that has dragged on since 1988. Ganja is 43.5 km from the hotel, while Mingachevir is 35.4 km from the property.

Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Ilqan, the owner, has used them in the past, and told me that thats why Im looking so young even though Im over 60!, although he didnt tell me when his last one was. It is true that there are a number of papers and articles demonstrating the effectiveness of Naftalan oil as a medical treatment. Park Naftalan Sanatorium Complex takes special requests add in the next step! We exchanged a brief moment of eye contact accompanied by a painfully long awkward silence as I stood, totally naked, over the bathtub in front of him and Ayxan poor guy, hed only initially agreed to translate for the interview with Ilqan, and now look what hed been dragged into. - Naftalan applications It was strong. After lunch, my next stop was Ilqans office; he was the owner and manager of the spa, who had built the first privately owned sanatorium after the fall of the USSR, and had called a translator, Ayxan, over from the nearby government buildings so he could tell me a little about the history of the oil treatment over some tea. There was a problem loading the reviews. They'll have to be paid for separately during your stay. Patients left those crutches here as they recovered. Vladamir enjoys an oil bath; hes hoping the treatment will be good for his skin and bones. A 1994 ceasefire agreement ended hostilities, but the arch foes have yet to reach a definitive peace deal and there are frequent skirmishes along the volatile frontline. My new friend lets out a groan as his vertebrae are slowly pulled apart and his spine is stretched. The harness around his shoulders holds his upper body in place, but the doctor adds weights to a metal bar on the other end of the bath attached to his waist-strap by a wire. The petroleum spa resort in the oil-rich Caucasus country is a draw for visitors despite its proximity to Nagorno Karabakh, a region disputed between Azerbaijan and Armenia in a long-running armed conflict. Naftalan has the only museum in the world. We head down a hallway that smells of chlorine, and into another office, where a different doctor gives him a once-over. Please enter a valid email address. Azerbaijan has a uniquely close relationship with oil and natural gas. Booking.com will make an effort to obscure email addresses, telephone numbers, website addresses, social media accounts, and other similar details. It doesnt have octane in it, so it isnt flammable.. Your visit to a Naftalan clinic will begin with a series of tests. Mealtimes highlighted the extreme contrast in the patients. You can sort and/or filter them by time of year, review score, and more. It may have meant nothing, but it did force me to consider whether the staff and locals were more aware of the health risks more than the patients. Kapaz Sanatorium is located at an altitude of 250 meters above sea level at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. In fact, since it is so diverse, there is some tension regarding what to call people from Azerbaijan. And then another. Yes, Qasalti Sanatorium offers an airport shuttle for guests. With this, they discovered the benefits of Naftalan oil! Some 30km from the skyscraper-encrusted shorelines of Baku, an entire town built on oil rigs weathers the choppy waters of the Caspian Sea. But Im not here to bore you with a lesson on economics and the global production of crude oil. Click here to read post guidelines. Promotional content will be removed. Check out our new interactive map, displaying the locations of each of our interviews!

Then, repeat twice more for lunch and dinner. Something went wrong please try again later.

What are some of the property amenities at Qasalti Sanatorium? With that, Elias gave me a quick tour of the spa before I got myself settled. Contributions should be appropriate for a global audience. According to a legend, which spa staff readily tell clients, the healing properties of Naftalan's "miraculous oil" were discovered by accident when a camel left to die near a pool of oil was cured. It may have meant nothing, but it did force me to consider whether the staff and locals were more aware of the health risks more than the patients. It doesnt have octane in it, so it isnt flammable.. Then, they were able to have a child. If we want to buy it again, we have to return 10 tonnes of it to SOCAR, the state oil company, first. There are about 150 people working in the clinics here. It was actually very difficult to find out much about naftalan oils structure, and one article claims that its composition hasnt been totally understood yet; thats red flag number one. Dont worry, Ayxan laughed, sensing the nervousness in my voice, naftalan does not have the same characteristics as other oil. Snow-capped peaks are just about visible through a haze to the North; a lone mountain stands guard to the South, and a giant Azerbaijani flag flutters against a cloudless blue sky. Medical oil called Naftalan (Naphthalene ) is produced in the city. You can read the details of Ourtransfer service to Naftalan from here. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. I passed a door, with Urologist emblazoned across a silver plaque beside it. Because Azeri refers only to ethnic Azeris, who make up the bulk of the population, Azerbaijani is a more accepted term when talking about anyone from Azerbaijan. - Naftalan tampons Im still nervous about exposing my skin to anything cold after the oil bath, so Id wrapped up in layers, but now Im sweltering in the heat of my new surroundings.

Your question will be published on Booking.com after it's approved and answered. Otherwise it can cause damage to your body. and U.S.A. consider naphthalene to be carcinogenic, meaning it increases your chances of developing cancer, although no direct link between the disease and the oil has been proven. The patient is placed in a bath filled naphthalan oil preheated to a temperature of 37 - 38 C. Oil penetrates through the pores in the blood and further with sweaty goes back secretions . Id expected to jump straight into the shower and scrub the oil off myself, and didnt realise the experience would get so hands-on. Its remarkably diverse in everything from food to ethnicity, and is home to several minority groups with their own languages, such as Juhuri and Khinalug. The warmth lulled me into a state of relaxation and I examined my hand, mesmerized, as I dunked it beneath the slick, brown fluid before bringing it back up and watching the viscous droplets trickle from my fingers. Attempting to cycle from Troms in Northern Norway to Baku, Azerbaijan while interviewing locals en route. After 10 days of bathing in crude oil Sulfiya says she now feels "much better" and has even reduced her medication for the polyarthritis that she has had for 12 years. The resort association received 50,000-70,000 patients a year from the republics of the former Soviet Union. See. But I figured it was done this way to conserve as much oil as possible for the next guest. I understood why people enjoyed the sensation. The original main religion, Zoroastrianism, worshipped fire, and there is an image of a flame at the centre of the national emblem. I questioned all the decisions Id made that had culminated in this very moment, before the chill of a metal scraper on my back (and other places) signalled the beginning of the oil-removal process. We exchanged a brief moment of eye contact accompanied by a painfully long awkward silence as I stood, totally naked, over the bathtub in front of him and Ayxan poor guy, hed only initially agreed to translate for the interview with Ilqan, and now look what hed been dragged into. (score from 1 reviews). Choose your currency.

The exhibits of this museum are discarded crutches. Royal, the assistant, flipped a sand timer and placed it on the side of the bath as Ayxan waited patiently in a corner; 10 minutes left. The spring is warm, the winter is soft here. Over the last two decades, the Azerbaijani authorities have worked hard to re-establish Naftalan's reputation as a health resort. Theyre made up of a few countries, all immensely culturally rich and diverse, that dont always get along; Georgia, Armenia, the Northern Caucus region in Russia, and Azerbaijan. If its too cold, it wont work, and it also cannot be more than 2c warmer than the body. Summary: People travel from all over the world to bathe in crude oil in Naftalan, a small town in Azerbaijan. Boasting on-site doctors and health treatments, Gozel Naftalan Health Resort is situated in Naftalan. Some use the term Azeri, but thats considered offensive to people who live within its boundaries whilst being part of one of the countrys many minority communities. Thanks! Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. But I figured it was done this way to conserve as much oil as possible for the next guest. I rolled through a countryside, dotted with rusted nodding donkeys (the pumps above oil wells), rising and falling with a hypnotic gentleness. Because their parents were unable to have children, and they came here for fertility treatment with the Naftalan oil. The opinions expressed in contributions are those of Booking.com customers and properties, and not of Booking.com.

It was mainly people from elsewhere in Azerbaijan, or abroad, who came for treatment. Its remarkably diverse in everything from food to ethnicity, and is home to several minority groups with their own languages, such as Juhuri and Khinalug. The number of extra beds and cribs allowed depends on the option you choose. Check your booking confirmation email to find your booking number and PIN. With our Transfer service from Baku to Naftalan. Considering what hes just been through, hes incredibly cheerful. Theyd decided it was time for me to try out a bath for myself. On the contrary, in the small town of Naftalan, local oil is even regarded as having beneficial therapeutic effects, and people are happy to bathe in it. The customer will instead pay the property directly, at the price indicated on Booking.com. The flag is made up of three colours: blue conveys its Turkic heritage, red symbolises progress and the development of democracy, and green represents Islam. Dermatologist, Gynaecologist, Neurologist It seemed that every medical ologist under the sun sat in their offices next to reception, occasionally beckoning patients in from outside. After their trip, guests tell us about their stay.

Please see our partners for more details. All that being said, then, you probably wont be surprised to learn that its nickname is The Land of Fire, which it certainly lives up to. So, yes, its the only place that I know of where you can find a mountain thats on fire. Naftalan Sanatorium Association was established in 1982 on the basis of the resort, the number of beds of which is growing year by year. The third and final flag was a little more subtle: most of the workers I spoke to said they didnt use the bathing facilities themselves. We contribute 300,000 manat ($176,500) to our town through taxes per year. When they came back the other way, they came across the same camel! This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Error: Id be staying at the Naftalan Sanatorium for the next four nights and, after getting settled in my room and letting my legs recover from a long and unexpectedly hilly day of cycling, I headed down to the foyer to look around.

You can read the details of Ourtransfer service to Naftalan from here. Perhaps, I reflected, it would be a little more ethical to advertise the baths as attractions, rather than as treatments. Reveal Full Chapter So, I met up with Elias, a urologist and dermatologist who told me about the alleged benefits of the treatment. Free private parking is available on site (reservation is not needed). I rolled through a countryside, dotted with rusted nodding donkeys (the pumps above oil wells), rising and falling with a hypnotic gentleness. They resettled refugees in other regions, demolished decrepit Soviet-era sanatoriums and built brand-new tourist facilities. Despite how much pain I imagined he must be in, he grins and gives me another OK gesture; it seems to be his signature.

Some had very severe and obvious conditions, while others, it turned out, were here for preventative measures or simply R&R. Is parking available at Qasalti Sanatorium? Booking.com does not accept responsibility or liability for any question or answers. For it was here that I met Vladamir Iakovlev, who would become a sort of unofficial guide during my stay in Naftalan once Ayxan had left. Offer subject to change without notice. "This is so pleasant," she enthuses, despite the reek of engine oil. The four-story building of the sanatorium has 56 rooms and is surrounded by a landscaped area with benches, conifers, a decorative pool and a fountain in the center. I have problems with compression of my vertebrae in my spine, so this treatment will pull them apart. You have to use a strong conditioner a surfactant that is able to remove the oil from your skin when you wash off, and the process can be a long one. A number of treatments are offered, but the most popular is to simply bathe in the black stuff, which after a bathing session, is thoroughly scrubbed down the body. During one of the deadliest recent bouts of fighting in April 2016, "we heard gunshots," said a member of staff at Naftalan's luxurious Garabag spa, adding quickly that "everyone stayed on. This, Elias told me, was to ensure patients didnt have to go outside in cold weather after their oil baths; a protective measure against the damage hed warned me about.

Why on earth do people bathe in crude oil in Azerbaijan? Try again. Id expected to jump straight into the shower and scrub the oil off myself, and didnt realise the experience would get so hands-on. Sirvan Avenue 37, Naftalan 4600 Azerbaijan, Lock in the lowest price from these sites. He didnt specify exactly what kind of damage, and I couldnt find the answer online beyond to your heart and skin, but given his expertise I took his word for it. The interaction was short, and I didnt have much time to find out about him or the treatment process then and there; that would come in due course. I can say, without a doubt, that Azerbaijans crude oil baths are one of the most peculiar and intriguing examples of those that Ive ever experienced. Out. Modern Naftalan is a blend of kitsch-looking high-end spas where a week's treatment costs some 1,000 euros, and modest sanatoriums where a week's treatment costs around 100 euros. Each review score is between 1 and 10. The Crescent and star is generally considered to be a reference to Islam, too, but the reason for the number of points on the star, eight, is up for debate.