Popular CNN Travel website published an article on the unusual Azerbaijani medical oil in Naftalan, Report informs.

The publication notes that this crude oil is too thick for commercial use, But it's said to have health-giving properties and so people have been bathing in it since ancient times.

“Around 15,000 people a year come here to sit in baths of warm oil, soaking up what locals call "the thick blood of the Earth. It is known that Naftalan oil is reputed to ease more than 70 skin, joint and bone diseases. It's used as a disinfectant, an anti-inflammatory and even as an anaesthetic” the article mentions.

It is noted that the resort of Naftalan is located in the foothills and the air is clean, which contributes to the early treatment.

The Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi wrote about the oil in XII century, who pointed out that it was exported to neighboring countries through trade caravans. In the XIII century, the unique properties of this oil was written by the famous Italian Explorer Marco Polo.