Turkish bath, kind of bath that originated in the Middle East and combines exposure to warm air, then steam or hot-air immersion, massage, and finally a cold-water bath or shower. The Turkish bath typically requires movement from one room or chamber to the next.
A Turkish Baths ritual is a journey of heating, cooling and cleansing the body, promoting a sense of relaxation and a clear mind. At the end of the session many of our clients say they feel exhilaration, euphoria, total relaxation and absolute cleanliness.
The steam itself will relax your body and kill every single pain or spasm in your body. The difference in Turkish bath is not only the way bath works but also the dry heat rooms. These rooms are small halls where you can sit and build up sweating for 10-15 minutes.
The attendants usually provide visitors with a peshtemal, a thin cotton towel to wrap yourself and a regular towel to use after bathing. It is okay to bring your bathing suit or bikinis; but, since few others—and no Turks—will be wearing anything, it's not recommended for the true experience.
I am of the firm belief that everyone should go to a Turkish bath (or 'hammam', as the locals call it) at least once in their life. It's the sort of thing that will pick you up as much as it calms you down, giving you a whole new sense of confidence, while helping to ease the pent-up tension in your muscles.
Will they wash my hair in a Turkish bath? Yes, an attendant will exfoliate your skin and wash your hair and body for about 25 minutes.
Depending on how comfortable you feel, you can either wear your underwear or swimwear under your hammam towel. Some places offer you disposable underwear.
After the Turkish bath, it is very pleasant to expose yourself to the outside temperature or to cool off with a cool shower or sponge bath. Your body temperature will ensure that you spend several minutes in a pleasant feeling of cool well-being.
How long will the whole experience last? The whole process from start to finish takes around an hour, but the massage and scrubbing will take 15 minutes. Don't worry though, as once you have paid the entrance and service fee, you can stay in most hammams for as long as you want.
How long should I stay in a Turkish bath? The bathing ritual usually lasts for 45 minutes, and it's recommended to stay in the hot bathing room for 15-20 minutes after. Any longer than this and you can run the risk of heat exhaustion without realizing it.
Always shower before using a sauna, Turkish bath or jacuzzi.
If you're wearing sun lotion, make sure it's completely washed from your skin to prevent a build-up in the jacuzzi water and to stop it melting into sauna and steam room facilities.
The best romantic spa treatment for couples is a Turkish hammam experience. Sharing a hammam bath together increases intimacy and helps couples to relax and focus on each other. A Turkish hammam treatment is the ultimate sensory journey; it ignites the senses in a pleasurable and stimulating way.
Real traditional hammam soap is Aleppo soap, Turkish hammam soap and Moroccan Beldi soap. They are all made of only natural ingredients, olive oil being the main one. They are part of the hammam ritual and intertwined with the history of this bathing culture.
A traditional hammam experience is very communal.
The steam, washing, and massage all happen in a (gender separated) shared space. If you want a more private experience, look for a luxury hammam that offers a more western spa with private rooms.
A Turkish bath session takes place in traditional baths, and is a ritualistic experience that involves an intense massage, followed by a sudsy scrub down and full body exfoliation. A perfect way to refresh and rejuvenate, Turkish baths are said to promote good health through massage and heat therapy.
Being naked in Turkish baths is normal but you need to cover your genitals. Men wrap with peştemal around the waist. And women do the same around their chest. Feel free to stay in the hot room.
Hammam bathing is an ancient hydrotherapy treatment that happens in several stages to fully exfoliate your skin from head to toe, as well as purify, hydrate, and soften the skin. Turkish and Moroccan hammam are both excellent ways to enhance overall skin health at the surface and below the surface.
Where a sauna uses high temperatures, dry heat and low humidity to make your body shed its toxins, Turkish baths offer higher humidity and lower temperatures for a more languid purifying experience. Simply put: saunas focus more on steam, whereas Turkish baths focus more on water.
Undoubtedly there are many therapeutic facilities out there for families with young children to enjoy. But in general, Turkish and Moroccan hammams are for adults only. Some hammams may permit youth, but there is usually an age limit (for an example, children under 12 are not permitted).
After you arrive at the hammam, an attendant will show you to a changing room, where they will give you a robe and a locker and tell you to get undressed. Women can either go naked or wear bikini bottoms or underwear into the hammam. I always wear my bikini bottoms because, hey, I just feel more comfortable that way!
For that, a masseur (tellak) will scrub you with a kese, a Turkish bath cloth made of silk, which peels the dead skin. In this step, you will lay down on a specific stone, and the masseur will scrub your body for 10 minutes. While some people say it is a painful experience, in fact, it is not.
In general, Turkish hammams will have steam rooms with high humidity; Moroccan baths will have rooms that are heated through the walls and floor as well as through the water pipes, creating a more subtle steam experience.
Your skin will be scrubbed with a rough mit (called a 'Kese') which removes all the dead skin from your body. Contrary to popular belief this does not remove your tan.
Before you go, you may want to take care of all your hair removal needs, whatever those may be. Most people do not shave in hamams, although you may come across it in some places. Pack a small bag with your own shampoo and conditioner, moisturizer, comb or other hair products, and a change of clothes.
Unlike the Hammam, a Turkish bath primarily uses water rather than steam.