Sivas Balikli Kaplica

Sivas Balıklı Kaplıca is a renowned fish-spring in Sivas Province in central Anatolia, Turkey, where the famous Garra rufa fish (kangal fish or doctor fish), tiny carp-like creatures that nibble dead skin from bathers in a natural exfoliating experience, have been part of the springs' bathing tradition since their distinctive properties were first documented in the 19th century, establishing the Sivas fish springs as one of Turkey's most celebrated thermal destinations. Sivas City itself is one of Anatolia's most historically significant settlements, the site of the Seljuk-era theological colleges whose magnificent Çifte Minareli Medrese facade of intricate stone carving represents one of medieval Islamic architecture's finest achievements, and the location of the 1919 Sivas Congress where Mustafa Kemal rallied the Turkish nationalist movement that eventually established the modern Turkish Republic. The sodium-bicarbonate spring waters inhabited by the Garra rufa fish continue to draw curious tourists from across Turkey and Europe to experience the distinctive sensation of natural fish exfoliation in the thermal pools of one of central Anatolia's most historically layered and unusual spa destinations.