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HAMMAM

Hammam [hamam] known also as ‘Turkish bath’ is the Middle East type of steam bath; one can say a wet relative of sauna.

History of Hammam

Besides bathing, hammams always represented places to socialize and of religious cleansing.  Hammam was an important part of Islam culture and their life. Even the wealthy citizens, possessing their own private hammams, visited the public ones in order to show the people their cleanliness. Hammam has also become important part of life for Moslem women, for whom it represented the only opportunity to socialize outside their homes. The Ottoman Empire was rich in hammams; almost every city in Empire had at least one.  They were completely integrated in the everyday life of the people, especially populated in the occasions of certain ceremonies, as before weddings when bathing was accompanied with food and music; after birth – celebrating the newborn; during religious holidays… Architecture in most of the hammams represents an exceptional expression of Islamic art, rich designed arcs, arches, columns and pillars.

Bathing stages in hammam

Hammam usually includes separated parts for men and women. The process of bathing consists of several phases, leading the bather to the heavenly experience. These phases can be best described by the words of Mikkel Aaland. After his experience of Cagaloglu Hammam in Istanbu he wrote: “We entered the first stage of the five-step progression through the hammam. First is the seasoning of the body with heat; second is the vigorous massage; third is the peeling off of the outer layer of skin, and removal of body hairs; fourth, the soaping, and fifth, relaxation.”

An attendant, staff working in hammam called tellak leads you to the dressing room, where you get the cotton wrap – pestemal to cover your body, kese – a rough glove for the massage, and you slip into the special wooden clogs called nalin, that will prevent you from slipping on the wet floor, your bowl and natural black soap if you wish. First, you enter the hot steam room (harara) with the large, heated marble stone platform at the centre, on which bathers are laying. In the corners of the room there are niches with the fountains for pouring the water over your body. This is the hottest room of the hammam (45 ºC), where your body will start to perspire, and the pores start to open. Then, if you wish you can experience a vigorous Turkish massage. After the short relaxation, a tellak will pour the water over you, and then rub your back with the coarse (usually horse or camel hair) glove, removing the layers of dead skin. After the scrubbing, your entire body will be soaped and rinsed with the water poured all over you from the basin.

The bathing in hammam ends up in the resting room (soğukluk) where you will relax in the comfortable couches or sofas, let your skin pores to close and refresh yourself with the offered tea, coffee, or a soft drink.

Where to visit a genuine hammam?

If you wish to visit a genuine hammam, we recommend you the “Cağaloğlu Hamami” in Istanbul, which is built in a year 1741, as a gift to the city, from Sultan Mehmet I.

In Turkey hammams are simply everywhere. You can try the tellaks’ massage expertise and pleasant warm of orient “at the every corner”.  Furthermore, tradition of hammam spread out all around the world, so you can try hammam ritual in many wellness centers throughout Europe (Spain, Germany, Italy, France...).

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