As sub-zero cold grips the region, animals are guided into Budakli’s thermal baths near Güroymak, using the naturally heated water to remove barn dirt, ease physical stress and protect dairy output.
Every ten days, breeders walk them several kilometres for the soak, often spending hours guiding the herd through snow. Steam rises around dark silhouettes, drawing photographers to the valley below Nemrut volcano.
Locals say the routine helps wounds heal and keeps animals calm through winter, turning the springs into a simple, open-air spa.
Fed by geothermal heat from the Nemrut volcano, the Budakli Thermal Springs draw rainwater deep underground, where it warms inside fractured volcanic rock before resurfacing naturally at close to 40°C.
