Health & Wellness in Azerbaijan

Bathe in Naftalan oil
Approximately one hour’s drive from Ganja is Naftalan – a resort town named after a rare type of oil which for centuries has been extracted and used here to cure all sorts of ailments. According to popular legend, the oil’s healing properties were first spotted by a Silk Road merchant who left one of his sickly camels for dead by a pool of naftalan oil and later returned to find it fully recovered. Later, the town’s sanatoriums were a big hit with Soviet health seekers suffering from skin, muscle, joint and bone conditions, and following a decline in the 1990s, the town has recently re-emerged as one of Azerbaijan’s leading health tourism destinations. Treatment typically involves taking daily baths of crude oil for at least a week at one of the town’s many wellness centres.

Health & wellness experiences in Lankaran
Nature in this subtropical corner of Azerbaijan isn’t just pleasing on the eye, but also naturally therapeutic. Scattered throughout the region are thermal water springs (called ‘istisu’ in Azerbaijani) that have long been used by the local population to cure all sorts of ailments. They tend to be very simple sanatoriums offering bathing booths filled with the hot, mineral-rich water flowing naturally from underground. Bathing in these is surprisingly relaxing, but the village of Haftoni has taken the procedure to an entirely new level. A popular sanatorium opened around the many hot springs here way back in 1958 and became a hit with Soviet health seekers. However, since summer 2019 the village is home to the luxurious Lankaran Springs Wellness Resort.

Duzdag experience the power of nature
Salt therapies are offered in health resorts all over Azerbaijan, but for the most authentic experience head to Duzdag, 12 kilometres from Nakhchivan City. Duzdag or ‘Salt Mountain’ is a former salt mine whose underground tunnels have been converted into a leading salt therapy centre serviced by a wonderful team of physicians and physiotherapists. The mountain is thought to contain some 130 million tons of pure natural salt, which is prized for its ability to cure respiratory illnesses. For the full experience, soak up the salt and silence while spending the night in one of the centre’s underground caverns. An affiliated above-ground well-equipped resort is located 2 kilometres away.

Wellness in Azerbaijan

Stroll through the Khan’s Park & around
Spend half a day strolling the city centre, home to Ganja’s main historical attractions. On the central square, browse the Shah Abbas Mosque complex and medieval baths, built during the Safavid dynasty that governed Azerbaijan for over 200 years. Discover the nearby mausoleum to Javad Khan, the last khan of Ganja, following whose death Ganja became part of the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union. Traces of that are clearly visible in several more buildings around the square: the grand city hall exudes Socialist Classicism, while the Ganja Hotel and Academy of Sciences opposite are grand, imposing and Stalinist. From the square head south-west to the Khan’s Garden, a six-hectare urban oasis that’s one of Azerbaijan’s oldest parks, and don’t miss the nearby Agricultural University building, which briefly housed the government of Azerbaijan’s first independent republic in 1918.

Explore thermal springs in Gabala
There are more than 30 deposits of thermal mineral waters with different concentrations, sulphur levels and organic substances in the Caucasus and three of them are located in the charming city of Gabala, which is located at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. The city’s Yengija and Gamarvan thermal springs are popular in Azerbaijan and beyond, and today are the basis of balneotherapy treatments at world-class health and wellness resorts in Gabala, a scenic city where you recuperate to a mountainous backdrop and even experience state-of-the-art cryotherapy.

Relax at Baku’s traditional hammams
Hammams in Baku were traditionally places to gather, relax and socialize. Few of the old ones remain, however centrally located Agha Mikayil, Akhund and Tezebay hammams are still visited by locals. Head to any of these for the essential Azerbaijani hammam experience, which entails completely immersing yourself in warm water, visiting the steam room and an all-over body scrub, which can be particularly relaxing during the cooler months. All hammam procedures should be followed by a tea ceremony with friends.

Despite being housed in a former oil-boom mansion, Tezebay was only converted into a hammam about 20 years ago. It’s eccentric, modern and a little more expensive, but offers a wider range of procedures and treatments.