On that note, you will also want to bring along your own soap and shampoo, although some hamams will let you purchase soaps. In either case, natural olive oil-based soap is always most recommended. You will also want to bring along a fluffy towel with which to thoroughly dry yourself off afterward. One of the best parts of taking a Turkish bath is receiving a scrub and massage by the skilled attendants. They might not be licensed massage therapists as you might be more used to in international spas; however, they will be skilled in their own right, and you will end up feeling relaxed, cleaner and refreshed.
Most hamams in Turkey also offer waxing services, especially for women, and use a lemon and sugar-based wax that is removed with fabric. If you plan to get waxed at your Turkish bath, then that should be the first service you receive and make sure not to scrub or soap up beforehand as advised.
For this procedure, you are advised to spend a good 20 minutes or so in the heat of the hamam beforehand and to soak yourself in equally warm water. When it is then your turn for the service, the custom is for you to lay on the center stone as the scrubber proceeds to rub the dead skin off of your entire body by using repetitive motions that will reveal dark rolls of skin and dirt.
Either way, I can still guarantee that after this experience you will feel cleaner and lighter than you ever have before. There are a number of different services on offer in most hammans, and you have to sort this out at the beginning.
A traditional Turkish bath package includes 45 minutes of washing; traditional body scrubbing with handwoven wash cloth known as a kese ; a foam wash; and a massage.
The attendants usually provide visitors with a peshtemal, a thin cotton towel to wrap yourself and a regular towel to use after bathing. Almost all historic baths in Istanbul have a dressing section where you can store securely your belongings. Once you are ready, the bath attendant will take you into the warm section.
Then we went into a room with a small lukewarm pool to start to cool off. If you ordered a massage, you will get that next, often in a separate room. Hammams are very social — you can relax with your friends or make new ones as you sip tea. Important Etiquette Men and women generally go topless in hammams, but they do wear underwear.
Just a few dirham or lira are sufficient. Some hotels have hammams, but those are more luxurious and less authentic since they are for tourists. For a more genuine experience, ask your hotel staff, waiter, or another local where they would go. Some hammams in Morocco even require that you bring your own buckets.
Author: Emily Starbuck Gerson. I shamefully slithered back to the locker room and succumbed to Turkish tradition as I shed my black brassiere and my modesty, and I reentered the room full of bare breasts. In some hammams, such as the one I visited, you get scrubbed down in the stream room rather than it being in a separate chamber. Hammams are modeled after ancient Roman baths, with domed ceilings, regal columns, and a marble interior. First, know that not all hammams are built the same or have the same amenities.
When you first enter the hammam, you tell the person working at the front desk what services you would like. In the hammam I went to, patrons did a scrub-down in the same hot room. Men and women generally go topless in hammams, but they do wear underwear. Next have a warm shower, washing yourself thoroughly with soap and then drying off well. Stage one warming up The first stage warming up usually lasts from 15 to 20 minutes. You should either sit or recline in the Turkish bath, naked or wearing a towel in either terry or other breathable fabrics.
As well as benefitting from the steam, you can also enjoy aromatherapy using essential oils to reawaken, refresh, stimulate or relax. Colour therapy also has beneficial effects on your mind and body. Upon exiting, have a cool shower and lie down to relax for a couple of minutes. Exit the Hammam immediately if you feel at all unwell or if you have a throbbing in your temples, an indication of excessive change in your blood pressure.
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