Aquae Calidae Settlement

Aquae Calidae, formerly Therma and Thermopolis, is a historic settlement in the territories of Burgas's Vetren and Banevo districts. During the Middle Ages it was also known as Thermopolis. Its mineral baths were visited by historical figures including Philip II of Macedon, the Byzantine emperors Justinian I and Constantine IV Pogonatos, the Byzantine empress Ino Anastasia, the Bulgarian kan Tervel and Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The name Aquae Calidae derives from Latin and means "at the hot waters". The area's history can be traced to the Neolithic, when the Thracians established three settlements near the hot spring. They began using the hot water for healing, and the region became a centre of the cult of the Three Nymphs. During the Roman period, under Emperor Trajan, an administrative centre developed here, including public baths with two large pools. An important Roman road was also built, connecting the newly founded Marcianopolis with Anchialos and Adrianople, and a road station called Aquae Calidae was established near the baths. In the Middle Ages, following the Battle of Anchialos in 708, the town passed into Bulgarian hands and became known as Thermopolis or Therma. In 1093 Alexios Komnenos left a detachment in Thermopolis to defend the eastern Balkan Mountain passes. During the Ottoman period, Suleiman the Magnificent visited the mineral baths in 1562 and ordered a new bathhouse built over the partly ruined Bulgarian pools. The settlement underwent various name changes and became part of Burgas in 1900. 

Today the Burgas Mineral Baths are a well-known tourist and cultural destination combining a rich history with the health benefits of mineral water.