Naftalan, Azerbaijan
"Petroleum spas" have made a comeback in Azerbaijan. Bathing in crude oil was a popular local resort pastime in the 1970s and '80s. But the spas closed when war broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan, and refugees replaced tourists. Now that the country is stable and enjoying Western investment in its oil industry, the spas are reopening. Local doctors say that soaking in a barrel of crude for 10 minutes a day relieves joint pain, cures psoriasis, and beautifies the skin. The local oil in the spa town Naftalan contains about 50 percent naphthalene, a hydrocarbon used in mothballs and coal tar soaps. Western doctors say soaking in it could cause cancer.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Why are student loan borrowers falling behind on payments?Today's Big Question Delinquencies surge as the Trump administration upends the program
-
Not there yet: The frustrations of the pocket AIFeature Apple rushes to roll out its ‘Apple Intelligence’ features but fails to deliver on promises
-
George Foreman: The boxing champ who reinvented home grillsFeature He helped define boxing’s golden era
