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Yalova History and Thermal Springs Route

Kurşunlu Bath

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Kurşunlu Bath (Kurşunlu Hamamı) was built 16 centuries ago by Emperor Justinian during the Eastern Roman period. Over time, it was damaged by wars and buried in the ground, however it was restored in 1900 by the order of Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II. Since the top of the bath is covered with lead, it is called kurşunlu which means "leaded".

Hot Springs

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Termal Hot Springs (Termal Kaplıcaları) are located in the city center of the Termal district of Yalova and they stand out as the most complex hot spring area of Türkiye. Famous for its hydrangeas, Termal also hosts quite rare trees. It has 39 types of deciduous trees, 26 types of evergreen trees, 25 types of deciduous and evergreen shrubs, and 18 types of ivy type plants. There are pine, magnolia and other types of trees in Güney Park. Influenced by different cultures in history, Termal gained importance during the Roman period. According to the research, Termal Hot Springs, known to have emerged as a result of a prehistoric earthquake have been named Pythia Therma since the 6th century. This was because it was thought to belong to an underground god because of the steam and hot water that emerged in the earth’s crevices. The Elixir of Life thermal baths, built by Constantine and restored by Justinian, are among the most popular thermal springs. The thermal springs, which gained importance again in the time of Sultan Abdülhamid, took their final shape during the period of Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He frequently visited Termal to get some rest and spend some time here. Termal Hot Springs waters were examined by the Society of Medicine in 1892, and a hotel and a bath were built here after it was discovered that the waters were of equal quality with the waters of Aix Les-Bains. Various votive steles, tombstones, a church and a tunnel, columns bearing the monogram of the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian II (C.E 565-578) were found in the studies launched in 1932 with the excavation order given by Atatürk.

Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha Mosque

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Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha Mosque (Hersekzade Ahmed Paşa Cami) was built by Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha, who served as the grand vizier during the reign of Sultan Bayezid II and Selim I. It is located along the coast of Izmit Gulf, between Karamürsel and Yalova.

Yürüyen Mansion

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The mansion was built by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, in 1929. One day, when Atatürk arrived at the farm, he saw a gardener trying to cut the branches of the plane tree adjacent to the mansion. The gardener explained that the branches were too long and pressed against the walls of the mansion. Upon hearing this, Atatürk gave the command, "Don’t cut the tree, move the building." A technical team first dug the ground to reach the foundation, then placed the mansion on rails and moved it 4.80 meters away from the tree on August 10th, 1930. Thus, the great plane tree was saved from being cut down. Since that day, the mansion has been known as "The Walking Mansion" (Yürüyen Köşk). Atatürk stayed at the mansion intermittently between 1930 and 1937. In a study conducted in 2015, it was found that the plane tree belongs to the Oriental Plane (Platanus orientalis) family and is approximately 400 years old.

Yalova City Museum

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Stopping by the Yalova City Museum (Yalova Kent Müzesi), you can bear witness to a history extending from the first settlement traces dating back 8000 years ago to the Ottoman Empire and the Republican Period. The museum also grants wide coverage to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. Ethnographic artifacts, documents, decorations and models within the museum also shed light on the cultural, geographical and historical past of the city.

Karaca Arboretum

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It is possible to see about 7000 different plant species in the arboretum founded on 13.5 hectares. Türkiye's first private arboretum, or botanical garden, Karaca Arboretum (Karaca Arboretumu) was founded by Hayrettin Karaca. It hosts many species and culture forms of Acer, Prunus, Malas, Magnolia, Quercus, Betula, Pinus, Agabeyes Picea species. In June 2004, Karaca Arboretum was awarded by the International Dendrology (Tree Science) Society.