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A Hamman (Turkish Bath) is a soft an relaxing heat, unlike
the intensity of a sauna and a celebration of the ritual of
cleansing and relaxation.
Hammans are situated all over the country. Hamman means "to
heat" and draws on the benefits of steam and sweat which
carries toxins from the bodies, and opens up the pores and
the mind. Many years ago, if a man entered a woman's Hamman
or Woman entered a man's, the punishment was death. Today
the section are often situated next to one another but are
still segregated.
The history of the turkish bath extends from the Turks arrival
in Anatolia, bringing with them their own bathing traditions
which merged with that of the Romans and Byzantines. It soon
became a way of life, a place where people of all ranks could
mingle freely.
Important personal moment are celebrated in the bath, a new
born babies 40th day on earth, and brides bathing before their
marriage. The bride sits in the bath in her bridal veil as
unmarried girls toss coins into the pool in the hope of commanding
a suitable husband for themselves.
The Cagalolglu is the oldest existing bath in Istanbul
and is nearly 400 years old. Decorated with pillars, arcs,
arches and bubbling fountains, it's the authentic Turkish
bathing experience. Physical purification is half of the Muslim
faith, and bathing has a strong religious significance. The
bather strips naked and wears towels over heads, shoulders
and the waist and wears lob cob (wooden clogs) on their feet.
The towels are shed in the harara, a steam room. The tellak
purges the room of phantoms, thought to linger in steam.
There are five stages during the hammam:
1. Seasoning of the body with heat
2. Vigorous massage
3. Peeling off the outer layers of the skin and removing body
hair (tozu). Removing off unnecessary hairs, armpit and pubic
is a hygiene measure in hot countries.
4. Soaping
5. Relaxation.
A typical Istanbul full service hamman will set you back
around $40, but in the Turkish countryside this can be as
little as $10.
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