In a quiet area near the Aegean Sea, specifically on his farm in “Caraporon” in the Turkish province of Izmir, the beehbers Hussein Gilan is working to provide an unconventional type of treatment, dependent on inhaling air emitted from beehives, as a way to help improve the health of his farm visitors.
This type of treatment is known as “bee therapy”, which is one of the methods of alternative medicine that has not been officially approved by the Turkish health authorities, despite its practice in a number of countries, including Germany and Russia. The guests, according to Gilan, spend several days in isolated rooms inside the farm, where they inhale the air issued by the beehives for periods of up to three hours a day, which is said to contribute to alleviating problems such as allergies and migraines.
Gilan, who is from a family that mourned beekeeping and has a scientific background in agriculture, has established his project about 30 years ago, and has since continued his efforts to include this type of treatment within recognized health practices, by providing research and results to the concerned authorities.
Despite the lack of official recognition of treatment, many individuals accept his experience, including Mrs. Olko Ozman (69 years old), who resorted to him after suffering from health complications resulting from surgeries and the long use of drugs.
The sessions are based on inhaling the fresh air filled with beehives through special devices, with a period of 45 minutes per session, as the participants move between multiple cells that are characterized by different scents. The daily treatment cost, including accommodation and meals, is about 5,000 TL (equivalent to $ 128).
Gilan stressed that this practice does not aim to replace traditional medicine, but rather complements alternative treatment options within a balanced and conscious framework.
