Bulgaria's abandoned mineral baths

In the town of Bankya, on the outskirts of Sofia, Bulgaria, the abandoned bath house was once the premiere meeting place for locals looking to get some rest and relaxation.

With its splendid architecture, the old mineral baths are considered one of Bulgaria’s hidden treasures as Bankya is well known for its mineral springs.

Intrepid photographer Ioanna Sakellaraki took the plunge to explore inside the town’s abandoned mineral bath house.

She said: “After doing some research I came across historical archives featuring the forgotten baths and news articles about abandonment of certain complexes. Having familiarised myself with the history I wanted to visit.”

Built in 1910 the baths were seen as a way to improve tourism in the area as it was always known for its mineral water sources.

The need for the bath house was so great at the time that even locals took part in the construction of the building, which took three years to complete.

Ioanna said: “The entire population of Bankya and the neighbouring villages participated in the construction of the mineral baths. Ox-driven carriages were used to haul stones from the quarry in Malo Buchino.”

Famed for its mineral water, which is known to have medicinal properties, Bankya is still home to a handful of spa resorts.

However many of the old style spas and mineral baths have been left neglected and forgotten in time.

Ioanna said: “The place reveals a captivating atmosphere, it is abandoned but still captures a great deal of its glorious past. It was a significant experience to having been able to sneak in and see it in reality, I was really pleased to have a snapshot of it.”

Despite the popularity of the old mineral baths at the start of the 20th century, interest in them began to wane towards the end of the century with its eventual closure in 2001.

Little is known as to why the old mineral baths were closed, however it is believed to have been due to a mismanagement of funds and a lack of investment by the local government.