Bursa, one of the final steps along the Silk Route and now the third largest town of modern Turkey, is founded on industry and thermal activity, a combination which opens the door to a re-examination of history. The town of Bursa and the neighbouring village of Cumalikzik are registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List for the quality of eight sites which illustrate the creation of a system fundamental to the Ottoman Empire in the 14th century. There is a close relation between the urban and the rural, while in the centre of town, there is a functional connection between the commercial districts, where the khans (or hans) lie, and the külliyes, the religious institutions which incorporate mosques, religious schools, as well as public baths and places for the poorest to eat and receive medical care. This historical core of the town has been enhanced in an effort to conserve the basic social purposes of such establishments. The ancient hammams have been transformed into, for example, cultural or social centres and museums. Following the establishment of the Kemalist Republic, the thermal spring-fed public baths have been complemented with grand hotels and hospitals which now receive people wishing to take the cure.