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115-551: A spa is a therapeutic water treatment. Spa or SPA may also refer to: Spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater ) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy . The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to prehistoric times. Spa towns , spa resorts, and day spas are popular worldwide, but are especially widespread in Europe and Japan . The term

230-461: A floor drain or by bailing. This toilet and bathtub were exceptional structures within the 1,300-room complex. As the hill was periodically drenched by torrential rains, a runoff system was a necessity. It began with channels in the flat surfaces, which were zigzag and contained catchment basins to control the water velocity. Probably the upper system was open. Manholes provided access to parts that were covered. Some links to photographs of parts of

345-458: A Roman colony placed just to the north of, and politically including, Kephala. The Romans believed they were the first to colonize Knossos. In 325, Knossos became a diocese , suffragan of the metropolitan see of Gortyna . In Ottoman Crete , the see of Knossos was in Agios Myron , 14 km to the southwest. The bishops of Gortyn continued to call themselves bishops of Knossos until

460-399: A certain amount of individuality. The 19th-century bathing regimen at Karlsbad consisted of visitors arising at 6 am to drink the water and be serenaded by a band. Next came a light breakfast, bath, and lunch. The doctors at Karlsbad usually limited patients to certain foods for each meal. In the afternoon, visitors went sight-seeing or attended concerts. Nightly theatrical performances followed

575-426: A closed system leading to a sewer apart from the hill. The queen's megaron contained an example of the first known water-flushing system latrine adjoining the bathroom. This toilet was a seat over a drain that was flushed by pouring water from a jug. The bathtub located in the adjoining bathroom similarly had to be filled by someone heating, carrying, and pouring water, and must have been drained by overturning into

690-427: A combination of bathing and drinking the water and exercising. Hot Springs, Virginia, specialized in digestive ailments and heart diseases, and White Sulphur Springs, Virginia, treated these ailments and skin diseases. Both resorts offered baths where the water would wash continuously over the patients as they lay in a shallow pool. Warm Springs, Georgia, gained a reputation for reportedly treating infantile paralysis by

805-428: A complex bathing procedure. Patients at Baden-Baden , which specialized in treating rheumatoid arthritis , were directed to see a doctor before taking the baths. Bathers then proceeded to the main bathhouse where they paid for their baths and stored their valuables before being assigned a booth for undressing. The bathhouse supplied bathers with towels, sheets, and slippers. The Baden-Baden bathing procedure began with

920-456: A country spa into the social capital of England. Bath set the tone for other spas in Europe to follow. The upper class arrived there on a seasonal basis to bathe in and drink the water, and as a show of status. Social activities at Bath included dances, concerts, playing cards, lectures, and promenading down the street. A typical day at Bath consisted of an early morning communal bath followed by

1035-428: A drainage system. A theatre was found at Knossos that would have held 400 spectators (an earlier one has been found at Phaestos). The orchestral area was rectangular, unlike later Athenian models, and they were probably used for religious dances. Building techniques at Knossos were typical. The foundations and lower course were stonework with the whole built on a timber framework of beams and pillars. The main structure

1150-552: A famous health resort eventually grew and the term "spa" came to refer to any health resort located near natural springs. During this period, individual springs became associated with the specific ailment that they could allegedly benefit. Great bathhouses were built in Byzantine centers such as Constantinople and Antioch , and the popes allocated to the Romans bathing through diaconia , or private Lateran baths, or even

1265-459: A grand manner, with formal perpendicular axes, solid brick construction, and stone and concrete Roman-revival detailing. The spa was surrounded by a 1,200-acre (4.9 km ) natural park that had 18 miles (29 km) of bridle paths, "with measured walks at scientifically calculated gradients through its groves and vales, with spouting springs adding unexpected touches to its vistas, with the tumbling waters of Geyser Brook flowing beneath bridges of

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1380-455: A major resort for people from the large metropolitan areas of St. Louis and Chicago . The popularity of the spas continued into the 20th century. Some medical critics, however, posited that the thermal waters in such renowned resorts as Hot Springs, Virginia, and Saratoga Springs, New York, were no more beneficial to health than ordinary heated water. In response, various spa owners claimed to develop better hydrotherapy for their patients. At

1495-449: A massage, and resting. Each procedure required separated, purpose-built rooms. The segregation of the sexes and the additions of diversions not directly related to bathing also had direct impacts on the shape and form of bathhouses. The elaborate Roman bathing ritual and its resultant architecture served as precedents for later European and American bathing facilities. Formal garden spaces and opulent architectural arrangement equal to those of

1610-423: A monumental staircase leading to state rooms on an upper floor. A ritual cult centre was on the ground floor. The palace stores occupied sixteen rooms, the main feature in these being the pithoi that were large storage jars up to five feet tall. They were mainly used for storage of oil, wool, wine, and grain. Smaller and more valuable objects were stored in lead-lined cists . The palace had bathrooms, toilets, and

1725-483: A myriad of monastic bath houses functioning in the eighth and ninth centuries. The Popes maintained baths in their residences, and bath houses known as " charity baths " as they served both the clerics and the poor incorporated into Christian Church buildings or those of monasteries. The Church also built public bathing facilities that were separate for both sexes near monasteries and pilgrimage sites. Popes situated baths within church basilicas and monasteries since

1840-638: A prescribed diet, exercise, and water-drinking program. European spas provided various other diversions for guests after the bath, including gambling, horse racing, fishing, hunting, tennis, skating, dancing, golf, sight-seeing, theatrical performances, and horseback riding. Some European governments recognized the medical benefits of spa therapy and paid a portion of the patient's expenses. A number of these spas catered to those suffering from obesity and overindulgence in addition to various other medical complaints . In recent years , people still travel to natural hot springs for relaxation and health. In Germany,

1955-465: A private breakfast party. Afterwards, one either drank water at the Pump Room (a building constructed over the thermal water source) or attended a fashion show. Physicians encouraged health resort patrons to both bathe in and drink the waters. The next several hours of the day could be spent in shopping, visiting the lending library, attending concerts, or stopping at one of the coffeehouses. At 4:00 pm,

2070-582: A procedure of baths and exercise. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who earlier supported Saratoga, became a frequent visitor and promoter of this spa. By the late 1930s more than 2,000 hot- or cold-springs health resorts were operating in the United States. This number had diminished greatly by the 1950s and continued to decline in the following two decades. In the recent past, spas in the U.S. emphasized dietary, exercise, or recreational programs more than traditional bathing activities. Up until recently,

2185-415: A second well, called the resort The English Spaw , beginning the use of the word Spa as a generic description. It is commonly claimed, in a commercial context, that the word is an acronym of various Latin phrases, such as salus per aquam or sanitas per aquam , meaning "health through water". The derivation does not appear before the early 21st century. It is likely a backronym as it does not match

2300-661: A spring called Espa , the Walloon word for "fountain". In 16th-century England , the old Roman ideas of medicinal bathing were revived in towns like Bath (named for its Roman baths). In 1596, William Slingsby, who had been to Spa, Belgium (which he called Spaw ), discovered a chalybeate spring in Yorkshire . He built an enclosed well at what became known as Harrogate , the first resort in England for drinking medicinal waters. In 1596, Timothy Bright, after discovering

2415-400: A time of decline for public bathing. People continued to seek out a few select hot and cold springs, believed to be holy wells, to cure various ailments. In an age of religious fervor, the benefits of the water were attributed to God or one of the saints. In 1326, Collin le Loup, an ironmaster from Liège , Belgium , discovered the chalybeate springs of Spa, Belgium . Around these springs,

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2530-402: A vapor room, and relaxing in a cooling room. In addition, doctors ordered that patients be douched with hot or cold water and given curative diets. Authors began writing guidebooks to the health resorts of Europe explaining the medical benefits and social amenities, inspiring rich Europeans and Americans to travel to these resorts. Each European spa began offering similar cures while maintaining

2645-430: A warm shower. The bathers next entered a room of circulating, 140 °F (60 °C) hot air for 20 minutes, spent another ten minutes in a room with 150 °F (66 °C) temperature, partook of a 154 °F (68 °C) vapor bath, then showered and received a soap massage. After the massage, the bathers swam in a pool heated approximately to body temperature. After the swim, the bathers rested for 15 to 20 minutes in

2760-490: A wooden throne. Both rooms are located in the ceremonial complex on the west of the central court. The throne is flanked by the Griffin Fresco, with two griffins couchant (lying down) facing the throne, one on either side. Griffins were important mythological creatures, also appearing on seal rings , which were used to stamp the identities of the bearers into pliable material, such as clay or wax. The actual use of

2875-562: Is an international association for spas and body wrap centers around the world. The main concern of the ISBWA is the regulation of the industry and the welfare of the consumers . Member organisations are to adhere to the ISBWA code of ethics. The Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code ( USPSHTC ) is a model code developed by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials ( IAPMO ) to govern

2990-681: Is common to the Mediterranean. While Greek columns are smaller at the top and wider at the bottom to create the illusion of greater height ( entasis ), the Minoan columns are smaller at the bottom and wider at the top, a result of inverting the cypress trunk to prevent sprouting once in place. The columns at the Palace of Minos were plastered, painted red and mounted on stone bases with round, pillow-like capitals . The palace at Knossos used considerable amounts of colour, as were Greek buildings in

3105-528: Is currently known, it was William Stillman, the American consul who published Kalokairinos' discoveries, who, seeing the sign of the double axe ( labrys ) on the massive walls partly uncovered by Kalokairinos, first associated the complex with the labyrinth of legend, calling the ruins "labyrinthine." Evans agreed with Stillman. The myth of the Minotaur tells that Theseus , a prince from Athens, whose father

3220-510: Is derived from the town of Spa, Belgium , whose name in Roman times was Aquae Spadanae . The term is sometimes incorrectly attributed to the Latin word spargere , meaning to scatter, sprinkle, or moisten. During the medieval era, illnesses caused by iron deficiency were treated by drinking chalybeate . In 1326, ironmaster Collin le Loup discovered the treatment. The water was sourced from

3335-680: Is located at the confluence of two streams called the Vlychia and the Kairatos , which would have provided drinking water to the ancient inhabitants. Looming over the right bank of the Vlychia, on the opposite shore from Knossos, is Gypsades Hill, on whose eastern side the Minoans quarried their gypsum. Though it was surrounded by the town of Knossos, this hill was never an acropolis in the Greek sense. It had no steep heights, remained unfortified, and

3450-488: Is suggested that they followed eastern models such as those at Ugarit on the Syrian coast and Mari on the upper Euphrates. The early palaces were destroyed during Middle Minoan II, sometime before c.  1700 , almost certainly by earthquakes to which Crete is prone. By c.  1650 , they had been rebuilt on a grander scale and the period of the second palaces ( c.  1650  – c.  1450 ) marks

3565-462: Is unlikely to have been a private residence like the others, suggests a communal or public use; i.e., it may have been the predecessor of a palace. In the Late or Final Neolithic (two different but overlapping classification systems, around 4000–3000 BC), the population increased dramatically. It is believed that the first Cretan palaces were built soon after c.  2000 BC , in the early part of

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3680-764: The Bull-Leaping Fresco , the snake goddess figurines , and numerous Linear B tablets. While Evans is often credited for discovering the Minoan Civilization, his work is controversial in particular for his inaccurate and irreversible reconstructions of architectural remains at the site. Knossos was settled around 7000 BC during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic , making it the oldest known settlement in Crete. Radiocarbon dating has suggested dates around 7,030-6,780 BCE. The initial settlement

3795-940: The Chremonidean War (267–261 BC), the Ptolemies were not able to unify the warring city states. In the third century BC Knossos expanded its power to dominate almost the entire island, but during the Lyttian War in 220 BC it was checked by a coalition led by the Polyrrhenians and the Macedonian king Philip V . Twenty years later, during the Cretan War (205–200 BC) , the Knossians were once more among Philip's opponents and, through Roman and Rhodian aid, this time they managed to liberate Crete from

3910-722: The Mycenaean world as an apotropaic mark : its presence on an object would prevent it from being "killed". Axes were scratched on many of the stones of the palace. It appears in pottery decoration and is a motif of the Shrine of the Double Axes at the palace, as well as of many shrines throughout Crete and the Aegean . And finally, it appears in Linear B on Knossos Tablet Gg702 as da-pu 2 -ri-to-jo po-ti-ni-ja, which probably represents

4025-460: The Roman Empire expanded, the concept of the public bath spread to all parts of the Mediterranean and into regions of Europe and North Africa. With the construction of the aqueducts , the Romans had enough water not only for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses, but also for leisurely pursuits. The aqueducts provided water that was later heated for use in the baths. Today, the extent of

4140-441: The 16th century, physicians at Karlsbad, Bohemia , prescribed mineral water to be taken internally as well as externally. Patients periodically bathed in warm water for up to 10 or 11 hours while drinking glasses of mineral water. The first bath session occurred in the morning, and the second in the afternoon. This treatment lasted several days until skin pustules formed and broke resulting in the draining of "poisons" considered to be

4255-451: The 1790s, New York spas were beginning to be frequented, most notably Ballston Spa . Nearby Saratoga Springs and Kinderhook were yet to be discovered. Colonial doctors gradually began to recommend hot springs for ailments. Benjamin Rush , American patriot and physician, praised the springs of Bristol, Pennsylvania, in 1773. Samuel Tenney in 1783 and Valentine Seaman in 1792 examined

4370-475: The 1820s had its own fountain and formal landscaping, but with only two small bathhouses. As the resort developed as a tourist destination, mineral bathhouses became auxiliary structures and not the central features of the resort, although the drinking of mineral water continued to be common. Although the purpose of the Saratoga and other New York spas were to provide access to mineral waters, their main attraction

4485-532: The Bronze Age site is supported by the Roman coins that were scattered over the fields surrounding the pre-excavation site, then a large mound named Kephala Hill , elevation 85 m (279 ft) from current sea level. Many of them were inscribed with Knosion or Knos on the obverse and an image of a Minotaur or Labyrinth on the reverse. The coins came from the Roman settlement of Colonia Julia Nobilis Cnossus ,

4600-555: The Civil War. After the Civil War, spa vacations became very popular as returning soldiers bathed to heal wounds and the American economy allowed more leisure time. Saratoga Springs in New York became one of the main centers for this type of activity. Bathing in and drinking the warm, carbonated spring water only served as a prelude to the more interesting social activities of gambling, promenading, horse racing, and dancing. During

4715-519: The Greek bathing practices. Romans surpassed the Greeks in the size and complexity of their baths, due to the larger size and population of Roman cities, the availability of running water following the building of aqueducts , and the invention of cement , which made building large edifices easier, safer, and cheaper. As in Greece, the Roman bath became a focal center for social and recreational activity. As

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4830-594: The Macedonian influence. With Roman aid, Knossos became once more the first city of Crete, but, in 67 BC, the Roman Senate chose Gortys as the capital of the newly created province Creta et Cyrene . In 36 BC, Knossos became a Roman colony named Colonia Iulia Nobilis . The colony, which was built using Roman-style architecture , was situated within the vicinity of the palace, but only a small part of it has been excavated. The identification of Knossos with

4945-527: The Middle Minoan period, at Knossos and other sites including Malia , Phaestos and Zakro . These palaces, which were to set the pattern of organisation in Crete and Greece through the second millennium, were a sharp break from the Neolithic village system that had prevailed thus far. The building of the palaces implies greater wealth and a concentration of authority, both political and religious. It

5060-469: The Minotaur, Ariadne gave him a ball of thread which he unwound as he went into the Labyrinth so that he could find his way back by following it. Theseus killed the Minotaur, and then he and Ariadne fled from Crete, escaping her angry father. As it turns out, there probably was an association of the word labyrinth , whatever its etymology, with ancient Crete. The sign of the double axe was used throughout

5175-492: The Mycenaean Greek, Daburinthoio potniai , "to the mistress of the Labyrinth," recording the distribution of one jar of honey. A credible theory uniting all the evidence has yet to be formulated. Knossos appears in other later legends and literature. Herodotus wrote that Minos , the legendary king of Knossos, established a thalassocracy (sea empire). Thucydides accepted the tradition and added that Minos cleared

5290-829: The Roman bath is found at ruins and in archaeological excavations in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The Romans also developed baths in their colonies, taking advantage of the natural hot springs occurring in Europe to construct baths at Aix and Vichy in France, Bath and Buxton in England, Aachen and Wiesbaden in Germany, Baden, Austria , and Aquincum in Hungary, among other locations. These baths became centers for recreational and social activities in Roman communities. Libraries, lecture halls, gymnasiums, and formal gardens became part of some bath complexes. In addition,

5405-904: The Romans reappeared in Europe by the end of the 18th century. Major American spas followed suit a century later. With the decline of the Roman Empire, the public baths often became places of licentious behavior, and such use was responsible for the spread rather than the cure of diseases. A general belief developed among the European populace was that frequent bathing promoted disease and sickness. Medieval church authorities encouraged this belief and made every effort to close down public baths. Ecclesiastical officials believed that public bathing created an environment open to immorality and disease. Roman Catholic Church officials even banned public bathing in an unsuccessful effort to halt syphilis epidemics from sweeping Europe. Overall, this period represented

5520-507: The Romans used the hot thermal waters to relieve their suffering from rheumatism , arthritis , and overindulgence in food and drink. The decline of the Roman Empire in the west, beginning in AD 337 after the death of Emperor Constantine , resulted in Roman legions abandoning their outlying provinces and leaving the baths to be taken over by the local population or destroyed. The Roman bathing ritual included undressing, bathing, sweating, receiving

5635-483: The Saratoga spa, treatments for heart and circulatory disorders, rheumatic conditions, nervous disorders, metabolic diseases, and skin diseases were developed. In 1910, the New York state government began purchasing the principal springs to protect them from exploitation. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt was governor of New York, he pushed for a European type of spa development at Saratoga. The architects for

5750-602: The West Court contained eight rooms and covered 50 m (540 sq ft). The walls were at right angles and the door was centred. Large stones were used for support under points of greater stress. The fact that distinct sleeping cubicles for individuals was not the custom suggests storage units of some sort. The settlement of the Middle Neolithic (5000–4000 BC), housed 500–1000 people in more substantial and presumably more family-private homes. Construction

5865-466: The West Wing in the winter of 1878-1879. The British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans (1851–1941) and his team began long-term evacuations from 1900 to 1913, and from 1922 to 1930. Its size far exceeded his original expectations, as did the discovery of two ancient scripts, which he termed Linear A and Linear B , to distinguish their writing from the pictographs also present. From the layering of

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5980-497: The ancient belief in the healing and purifying properties of water. Complex bathing rituals were also practiced in ancient Egypt, in prehistoric cities of the Indus Valley , and in Aegean civilizations . Typically, people did little construction around the water, and what was constructed was temporary. Some of the earliest descriptions of western bathing practices came from Greece. The Greeks began bathing regimens that formed

6095-570: The ancient geographer Strabo the Knossians colonized the city of Brundisium in Italy. In 343 BC, Knossos was allied with Philip II of Macedon . The city employed a Phocian mercenary named Phalaikos against their enemy, the city of Lyttus . The Lyttians appealed to the Spartans who sent their king Archidamus III against the Knossians. In Hellenistic times Knossos came under Egyptian influence, but despite considerable military efforts during

6210-438: The area of the later palace and the slopes to the north and west. Residents lived in one- or two-room square houses of mud-brick walls set on socles of stone, either field stone or recycled stone artifacts. The inner walls were lined with mud-plaster. The roofs were flat, composed of mud over branches. The residents dug hearths at various locations in the centre of the main room. This village had an unusual feature: one house under

6325-728: The benefits of hot springs from Native Americans. Europeans stole the land on which many of the hot and cold springs were situated from various tribes, and altered them to suit European tastes. By the 1760s, British colonists were traveling to hot and cold springs in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia in search of water cures. Among the more frequently visited of these springs were Bath , Yellow , and Bristol Springs in Pennsylvania; and Warm Springs , Hot Springs , and White Sulphur Springs in West Virginia. In

6440-527: The classical period. In the EM Period, the walls and pavements were coated with a pale red derived from red ochre. In addition to the background colouring, the walls displayed fresco panel murals , entirely of red. In the subsequent MM Period, with the development of the art, white and black were added, and then blue, green, and yellow. The pigments were derived from natural materials, such as ground hematite . Outdoor panels were painted on fresh stucco with

6555-425: The country's most developed steamboat lines meant that by the mid-1820s the spa became the country's most popular tourist destination, serving both the country's elite and the middle classes. Although spa activity had been central to Saratoga in the 1810s, by the 1820s the resort had hotels with great ballrooms, opera houses, stores, and clubhouses. The Union Hotel, first built in 1803, had its own esplanade, and by

6670-582: The cure spent hours drinking water from the springs. In Southeastern Europe, development of spa resorts took place mostly in the second half of the 19th century, such as the Slatina Spa in the Republic of Srpska, BiH, where the thermal and healing springs were discovered in the Roman times. Development of the spa resort in Slatina began in the 1870s, when the first modern spa facilities were built. By

6785-470: The drinking function, such as simple fountains, pavilions, and elaborate Trinkhallen. Enormous bathhouses came later in the 19th century as a renewed preference for an elaborate bathing ritual to cure ills and improve health became popular. European architects looked back to Roman civilizations and emulated their architecture. Europeans copied the same formality, symmetry, division of rooms by function, and opulent interior design in their bathhouses. They emulated

6900-700: The early Middle Ages. Catholic religious orders of the Augustinians ' and Benedictines ' rules contained ritual purification . Benedictine monks played a role in the development and promotion of the spa, inspired by Benedict of Nursia 's encouragement for the practice of therapeutic bathing. Protestantism also played a prominent role in the development of the British spas. Public bathing and spas were common in medieval Christendom in larger towns and cities such as Paris , Regensburg, and Naples . Bathing procedures during this period varied greatly. In

7015-403: The evening meal. This ended around 9 pm with the patients returning to their boardinghouses to sleep until 6 the next morning. This regimen continued for as long as a month and then the patients returned home until the next year. Other 19th-century European spa regimens followed similar schedules. At the beginning of the 20th century, European spas combined a strict diet and exercise regimen with

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7130-557: The external and internal use of water as part of the curing process. In the 19th century, bathing became a more accepted practice as physicians realized some of the benefits that cleanliness could provide. A cholera epidemic in Liverpool, England in 1842 resulted in a sanitation renaissance, facilitated by the overlapping hydropathy and sanitation movements , and the implementation of a series of statutes known collectively as "The Baths and Wash-houses Acts 1846 to 1896". The result

7245-667: The fine roads. Full advantage has been taken of the natural beauty of the park, but no formal landscaping". Promotional literature advertised the attractions directly outside the spa: shopping, horse races, and historic sites associated with revolutionary war history. New York Governor Herbert Lehman opened the new facilities to the public in July 1935. Other leading spas in the U.S. during this period were French Lick, Indiana ; Hot Springs and White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; Hot Springs, Arkansas; and Warm Springs, Georgia . French Lick specialized in treating obesity and constipation through

7360-588: The foundation for modern spa procedures. Aegean people utilized small bathtubs, wash basins, and foot baths for personal cleanliness. The earliest such findings are the baths in the palace complex at Knossos , Crete , and the alabaster bathtubs excavated in Akrotiri , Santorini ; both date from the mid-2nd millennium BC. They established public baths and showers within their gymnasium complexes for relaxation and personal hygiene. Greek mythology specified that certain natural springs or tidal pools were blessed by

7475-399: The fountains and formal garden spaces in their resorts, and added new diversions. Tour books of the time mentioned the roomy, woodsy offerings in the vicinity and the faster-paced evening diversions. By the beginning of the 19th century, the European bathing regimen consisted of numerous accumulated traditions. The bathing routine included soaking in hot water, drinking the water, steaming in

7590-404: The gods to cure disease. Around these sacred pools, Greeks established bathing facilities for those desiring healing. Supplicants left offerings to the gods for healing at these sites and bathed themselves in hopes of a cure. The Spartans developed a primitive vapor bath. At Serangeum , an early Greek balneum (bathhouse, loosely translated), bathing chambers were cut into the hillside from which

7705-456: The height of Minoan prosperity. All the palaces had large central courtyards which may have been used for public ceremonies and spectacles. Living quarters, storage rooms and administrative centres were positioned around the court and there were also working quarters for skilled craftsmen. The palace of Knossos was by far the largest, covering three acres with its main building alone and five acres when separate out-buildings are considered. It had

7820-527: The hot springs issued. A series of niches cut into the rock above the chambers held bathers' clothing. One of the bathing chambers had a decorative mosaic floor depicting a driver and chariot pulled by four horses, a woman followed by two dogs, and a dolphin below. Thus, the early Greeks used the natural features, but expanded them and added their own amenities, such as decorations and shelves. During later Greek civilization, bathhouses were often built in conjunction with athletic fields. The Romans emulated many of

7935-411: The installation and inspection of plumbing systems associated with swimming pools, spas and hot tubs as a means of promoting the public's health, safety and welfare. Knossos Knossos is dominated by the monumental Palace of Minos . Like other Minoan palaces , this complex of buildings served as a combination religious and administrative centre rather than a royal residence. The earliest parts of

8050-429: The known Roman name for the location. Spa therapies have existed since the classical times when taking bath with water was considered as a popular means to treat illnesses. The practice of travelling to hot or cold springs for medicinal purposes dates back to prehistoric times. Archaeological investigations near hot springs in France and Czech Republic revealed Bronze Age weapons and offerings. Many people around

8165-540: The last half of the 19th century, western entrepreneurs developed natural hot and cold springs into resorts — from the Mississippi River to the West Coast. Many of these spas offered individual tub baths, vapor baths, douche sprays, needle showers, and pool bathing to their guests. The various railroads that spanned the country promoted these resorts to encourage train travel. Hot Springs, Arkansas , became

8280-400: The mainland. Greek became the administrative language and the material culture shows parallels with Mycenaean styles, for instance in the architecture of tombs and styles of pottery. Around 1350 BC, the palace was destroyed and not rebuilt. The building was ravaged by a fire which triggered the collapse of the upper stories. It is not known whether this final destruction was intentional or

8395-486: The mid-19th century, visitors to the European spas began to emphasise bathing in addition to drinking the waters. Besides fountains, pavilions, and Trinkhallen, bathhouses on the scale of the Roman baths were revived. Photographs of a 19th-century spa complex taken in the 1930s, detailing the earlier architecture, show heavy use of mosaic floors, marble walls, classical statuary, arched openings, domed ceilings, segmental arches, triangular pediments, Corinthian columns, and all

8510-423: The motif in relief; indoor, on fresh, pure plaster, softer than the plaster with additives ordinarily used on walls. The decorative motifs were generally bordered scenes: humans , legendary creatures , animals , rocks, vegetation, and marine life. The earliest imitated pottery motifs. Most have been reconstructed from various numbers of flakes fallen to the floor. Evans had various technicians and artists work on

8625-624: The new complex spent two years studying the technical aspects of bathing in Europe. Completed in 1933, the development had three bathhouses — Lincoln, Washington, and Roosevelt — a drinking hall, the Hall of Springs, and a building housing the Simon Baruch Research Institute . Four additional buildings composed the recreation area and housed arcades and a swimming pool decorated with blue faience terra-cotta tile. Saratoga Spa State Park 's Neoclassical buildings were laid out in

8740-484: The nineteenth century. The diocese was abolished in 1831. During the ninth century AD the local population shifted to the new town of Chandax (modern Heraklion ). By the thirteenth century, it was called the Makruteikhos 'Long Wall'. In its modern history , the name Knossos is used only for the archaeological site. It was extensively excavated by Arthur Evans in the early 20th century, and Evans' residence at

8855-600: The other trappings of a Neoclassical revival. The buildings were usually separated by function — with the Trinkhalle , the bathhouse, the inhalatorium (for inhaling the vapors), and the Kurhaus or Conversationhaus as the center of social activity. Baden-Baden featured golf courses and tennis courts, "superb roads to motor over, and drives along quaint lanes where wild deer are as common as cows to us, and almost as unafraid". The European spa started with structures to house

8970-408: The palace and civilization as it was, but were creating a modern artifact based on contemporary art and architecture. The centrepiece of the "Minoan" palace was the so-called Throne Room or Little Throne Room, dated to LM II . This chamber has an alabaster seat which Evans referred to as a " throne " built into the north wall. On three sides of the room are gypsum benches. On the south side of

9085-495: The palace were built around 1900 BC in an area that had been used for ritual feasting since the Neolithic . The palace was continually renovated and expanded over the next five centuries until its final destruction around 1350 BC. The site was first excavated by Minos Kalokairinos in 1877. In 1900, Arthur Evans undertook more extensive excavations which unearthed most of the palace as well as many now-famous artifacts including

9200-505: The palace, Evans developed an archaeological concept of the civilization that used it, which he called Minoan, following the pre-existing custom of labelling all objects from the location Minoan. Since their discovery, the ruins have been the centre of excavation, tourism, and occupation as a headquarters by governments warring over the control of the eastern Mediterranean in two world wars. John Davies Evans (no relation to Arthur Evans) undertook further excavations in pits and trenches over

9315-427: The palace, focusing on the Neolithic. The palace at Knossos was continuously renovated and modified throughout its existence. The currently visible palace is an accumulation of features from various periods, alongside modern reconstructions which are often inaccurate. Thus, the palace was never exactly as it appears today. Like other Minoan palaces, Knossos was arranged around a rectangular central court. This court

9430-550: The palaces, often produced elsewhere in Crete. Pottery at Knossos is prolific, heavily-decorated and uniquely-styled by period. In Minoan chronology , the standard relative chronology is largely based on pottery styles and is thus used to assign dates to layers of the palace. The palace had at least three separate water-management systems: one for supply, one for drainage of runoff, and one for drainage of waste water. Aqueducts brought fresh water to Kephala hill from springs at Archanes , about 10 km away. Springs there are

9545-418: The patient to pay for transportation, accommodation, and meals. Most Germans are eligible for a Kur every two to six years, depending on the severity of their condition. Germans get paid their regular salary during this time away from their job, which is not taken out of their vacation days. Some European colonists brought with them knowledge of the hot water therapy for medicinal purposes, and others learned

9660-407: The paving would not have been optimal for the animals or the people, and that the restricted access points would have kept the spectacle too far out of public view. The 6 acres (24,000 m ) of the palace included a theater, a main entrance on each of its four cardinal faces, and extensive storerooms. The palace was built on Kephala Hill , 5 km (3.1 mi) south of the coast. The site

9775-697: The project, some artists, some chemists, and restorers. The symmetry and use of templates made possible a degree of reconstruction beyond what was warranted by only the flakes. For example, if evidence of the use of a certain template existed scantily in one place, the motif could be supplied from the template found somewhere else. Like the contemporary murals in the funerary art of the Egyptians, certain conventions were used that also assisted prediction. For example, male figures are shown with darker or redder skin than female figures. Some archaeological authors have objected that Evans and his restorers were not discovering

9890-489: The public bathing industry in the U.S. remained stagnant. Nevertheless, in Europe, therapeutic baths have always been very popular, and remain so today. The same is true in Japan , where the traditional hot springs baths, known as onsen , attract visitors. Due to an increase in the popularity of the "wellness industry", such treatments are again becoming popular. The International Spa and Body Wrap Association ( ISBWA )

10005-475: The result of a natural disaster such as an earthquake. While parts of the palace may have been used for later ceremonies and the town of Knossos saw a resurgence around 1200 BC, the building and its associated institutions were never restored. After the Bronze Age, the town of Knossos continued to be occupied. By 1000 BC, it had reemerged as one of the most important centres of Crete. The city had two ports, one at Amnisos and another at Heraklion . According to

10120-504: The sea of pirates, increased the flow of trade and colonised many Aegean islands. Other literature describes Rhadamanthus as the mythological lawgiver of Crete. Cleinias of Crete attributes to him the tradition of Cretan gymnasia and common meals in Book I of Plato's Laws , and describes the logic of the custom as enabling a constant state of war readiness. The site of Knossos was identified by Minos Kalokairinos , who excavated parts of

10235-484: The site served as a military headquarters during World War II . Knossos is now situated in the expanding suburbs of Heraklion. In Greek mythology, King Minos dwelt in a palace at Knossos. He had Daedalus construct a labyrinth , a very large maze in which to retain his son, the Minotaur . Daedalus also built a dancing floor for Queen Ariadne . The name "Knossos" was subsequently adopted by Arthur Evans. As far as

10350-409: The source of the Kairatos river, in the valley in which Kephala is located. The aqueduct branched to the palace and to the town. Water was distributed at the palace by gravity feed through terracotta pipes to fountains and spigots. The pipes were tapered at one end to make a pressure fit, with rope for sealing. Unlike Mycenae , no hidden springs have been discovered. Sanitation drainage was through

10465-468: The source of the disease. This was followed by a series of shorter, hotter baths to wash the infection away and close the eruptions. In the English coastal town of Scarborough in 1626, Elizabeth Farrow discovered a stream of acidic water running from one of the cliffs to the south of the town. This was deemed to have beneficial health properties and gave birth to Scarborough Spa . Dr Wittie's book about

10580-410: The spa waters, published in 1660, attracted a flood of visitors to the town. Sea bathing was added to the cure, and Scarborough became Britain's first seaside resort. The first rolling bathing machines for bathers are recorded on the sands in 1735. In the 17th century, most upper-class Europeans washed their clothes with water and washed only their faces with linen, feeling that bathing the entire body

10695-521: The springs, with smaller structures surrounding it. The main building provided the guests with facilities for dining, dancing on the first floor, and sleeping rooms on the second. The outlying structures were individual guest cabins, and other auxiliary buildings formed a semicircle or U-shape around the large building. These resorts offered swimming, fishing, hunting, and horseback riding as well as facilities for bathing. The Virginia resorts, particularly White Sulphur Springs, proved popular before and after

10810-460: The throne room there is a feature called a lustral basin , so-called because Evans found remains of unguent flasks inside it and speculated that it had been used as part of an annointing ritual. The room was accessed from an anteroom through double doors. The anteroom was connected to the central court, which was four steps up through four doors. The anteroom had gypsum benches also, with carbonized remains between two of them thought possibly to be

10925-454: The tradition survives to the present day. 'Taking a cure' ( Kur ) at a spa is generally largely covered by both public and private health care insurance. Usually, a doctor prescribes a stay of three weeks at a mineral spring or other natural setting where a patient's condition will be treated with healing spring waters and natural therapies. While insurance companies used to cover meals and accommodation, many now only pay for treatments and expect

11040-420: The warm "Sprudel" room pool. This shallow pool's bottom contained an 8-inch (200 mm) layer of sand through which naturally carbonated water bubbled up. This was followed by a series of gradually cooler showers and pools. After that, the attendants rubbed down the bathers with warm towels and then wrapped them in sheets and covered them with blankets to rest for 20 minutes. The rest of the treatment consisted of

11155-520: The water and that each patient should first do some prescribed exercises. This innovation increased the medicinal benefits obtained and gradually physical activity became part of the European bathing regimen. In 1797, in England, James Currie published The Effects of Water, Cold and Warm, as a Remedy in Fever and other Diseases .This book, along with numerous local pamphlets on composition of spa water, stimulated additional interest in water cures and advocated

11270-659: The water of Ballston Spa in New York and wrote of possible medicinal uses of the springs. Hotels were constructed to accommodate visitors to the various springs. Entrepreneurs operated establishments where the travellers could lodge, eat, and drink. After the American Revolution , the spa industry continued to gain popularity. The first truly popular spa was Saratoga Springs , which, by 1815, had two large, four-story, Greek revival hotels. It grew rapidly, and by 1821 it had at least five hundred rooms for accommodation. Its relative proximity to New York City and access to

11385-414: The water-collection-management system follow. Due to its placement on the hill, the palace received sea breezes during the summer. It had porticoes and air shafts. The palace also includes the Minoan column, a structure notably different from Greek columns . Unlike the stone columns that are characteristic of Greek architecture, the Minoan column was constructed from the trunk of a cypress tree, which

11500-428: The wealthy dressed up in their finery and promenaded down the streets. Next came dinner, more promenading, and an evening of dancing or gambling. Similar activities occurred in health resorts throughout Europe. The spas became stages on which Europeans paraded with great pageantry. These resorts became infamous as places full of gossip and scandals. The various social and economic classes selected specific seasons during

11615-499: The world believed that bathing in a particular spring, well, or river resulted in physical and spiritual purification. Forms of ritual purification existed among the Arabs , Persians , Ottoman Turks , Native Americans , Babylonians , Egyptians , Greeks , and Romans . Today, ritual purification through water can be found in the religious ceremonies of Muslims , Jews , Christians , Buddhists , and Hindus . These ceremonies reflect

11730-409: The year's course, staying from one to several months, to vacation at each resort. One season aristocrats occupied the resorts; at other times, prosperous farmers or retired military men took the baths. The wealthy and the criminals that preyed on them moved from one spa to the next as the fashionable season for that resort changed. During the 18th century, a revival in the medical uses of spring water

11845-410: Was a complex social life and cultural cachet. However, the wider audience the resort garnered by the late 1820s began to waver, and in the mid-1830s, as a bid to revive itself, it turned to horse racing. By the mid-1850s hot and cold spring resorts existed in 20 states. Many of these resorts contained similar architectural features. Most health resorts had a large, two-story central building near or at

11960-470: Was a hamlet of 25–50 people who lived in wattle and daub huts, kept animals, grew crops, and, in the event of tragedy, buried their children under the floor. Remains from this period are concentrated in the area which would later become the central court of the palace, suggesting continuity in ritual activity. In the Early Neolithic (6000–5000 BC), a village of 200–600 persons occupied most of

12075-411: Was a lower-class activity. The upper-class slowly began changing their attitudes toward bathing as a way to restore health later that century . The wealthy flocked to health resorts to drink and bathe in the waters. In 1702, Anne, Queen of Great Britain , travelled to Bath. A short time later , Beau Nash came to Bath, and along with financier Ralph Allen and architect John Wood , transformed Bath from

12190-475: Was an ancient Greek king named Aegeus , the basis for the name of the Greek sea (the Aegean Sea), sailed to Crete, where he was forced to fight a terrible creature called the Minotaur. The Minotaur was a half man, half bull, and was kept in the Labyrinth – a building like a maze – by King Minos, the ruler of Crete. The king's daughter, Ariadne, fell in love with Theseus. Before he entered the Labyrinth to fight

12305-661: Was built of large, unbaked bricks. The roof was flat with a thick layer of clay over brushwood. Internal rooms were brightened by light-wells and columns of wood, many fluted, were used to lend both support and dignity. The chambers and corridors were decorated with frescoes showing scenes from everyday life and scenes of processions. Warfare is conspicuously absent. The fashions of the time may be seen in depictions of women in various poses. They had elaborately dressed hair and wore long dresses with flounced skirts and puffed sleeves. Their bodices were tightly drawn in round their waists and their breasts were exposed. The prosperity of Knossos

12420-410: Was increased facilities for bathing and washed clothes, and more people participating in these activities. In most instances, the formal architectural development of European spas took place in the 18th and 19th centuries. The architecture of Bath, England, developed along Georgian and Neoclassical lines, generally following Palladian structures. The most important architectural form that emerged

12535-439: Was not very high off the surrounding ground. The Royal Road is the last vestige of a Minoan road that connected the port to the palace complex. Today a modern road, Leoforos Knosou, built over or replacing the ancient roadway, serves that function and continues south. The palace had extensive storage magazines which were used for agricultural commodities as well as tableware. Enormous sets of high quality tableware were stored in

12650-598: Was primarily based upon the development of native Cretan resources such as oil, wine, and wool. Another factor was the expansion of trade, evidenced by Minoan pottery found in Egypt, Syria, Anatolia, Rhodes, the Cyclades, Sicily, and mainland Greece. There seem to have been strong Minoan connections with Rhodes, Miletus, and Samos. Cretan influence may be seen in the earliest scripts found in Cyprus. The main market for Cretan wares

12765-468: Was promoted by Enlightened physicians across Europe. This revival changed the way of taking a spa treatment. For example, in Karlsbad the accepted method of drinking the mineral water required sending large barrels to individual boardinghouses where the patients drank physician-prescribed dosages in the solitude of their rooms. David Beecher in 1777 recommended that the patients come to the fountainhead for

12880-478: Was the "crescent" — a semi-elliptical street plan used in many areas of England. The spa architecture of Carlsbad , Marienbad , Franzensbad , and Baden-Baden was primarily Neoclassical, but the literature seems to indicate that large bathhouses were not constructed until well into the 19th century. The emphasis on drinking the waters rather than bathing in them led to the development of separate structures known as Trinkhallen (drinking halls) where those taking

12995-440: Was the Cyclades where there was a demand for pottery, especially the stone vases. It is not known whether the islands were subject to Crete or just trading partners, but there certainly was strong Cretan influence. Around 1450 BC, the palaces at Malia, Phaestos, and Zakros were destroyed, leaving Knossos as the sole surviving palace on Crete. In this final period, Knossos seems to have been influenced or perhaps ruled by people from

13110-474: Was the same, except the windows and doors were timbered, a fixed, raised hearth occupied the centre of the main room, and pilasters and other raised features (cabinets, beds) occupied the perimeter. Under the palace was the Great House, a 100 m (1,100 sq ft) area stone house divided into five rooms with meter-thick walls suggesting a second storey was present. The presence of the house, which

13225-500: Was twice as long north-south as it was east-west, an orientation that would have maximized sunlight, and positioned important rooms towards the rising sun. The central court is believed to have been used for rituals and festivals. One of these festivals is believed to be depicted in the Grandstand Fresco . Some scholars have suggested that bull-leaping would have taken place in the courts, though others have argued that

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