Turkish Bath (Hammam) Culture
A Turkish bath or hammam is the Turkish variant of the Roman bath, sauna, or Russian banya, well-known for its focus on hot water and the famous and relaxing massage that comes afterwards.
In the UK, "Turkish bath" became popular during the Victorian era. The process is very close to that of a sauna, but is a little close to ancient Greek and ancient Roman bathing practices.
When you go to a Turkish bath, the first part of the relaxation starts in an area known as the warm room which is heated by a flow of hot and dry air. Bathers then move to an even hotter room (aka the hot room) before they wash in cold water. After performing a full body wash and receiving an intense massage, bathers finally retire to the cooling-room for a period of relaxation and mindfulness.
The difference between the old Ottoman hammams and the Victorian Turkish bath is the air. The hot air in the Victorian Turkish bath is dry whereaw the air in the Ottoman hammams is often steamy. The bather in a Victorian Turkish bath will often take a plunge in a cold pool after the hot rooms; the Ottoman hammam usually does not have a pool unless the hammam is close to a spring water where the cold water can be transferred easily.
Johann Ludwig Wilhelm Thudichum, a British physician and biochemist described the Turkish baths in a lecture to the Royal Society of Medicine given in 1861 as:
“The discovery that was lost and has been found again, is this, in the fewest possible words: The application of hot air to the human body. It is not wet air, nor moist air, nor vapoury air; it is not vapour in any shape or form whatever. It is an immersion of the whole body in hot common air.”
Turkish towels are an essential part of the Turkish bath tradition. As they are absorbent and lightweight, these special towels are the top choice in the hammam. When you are in one of these traditional venues, you will be given one to use during your stay. Soon afterwards, you will want your very own Turkish towel for sure!
Turkish baths have also been a great settings for many famous Turkish films- Hammam (Il Bagno Turco) is also a good example from Ferzan Ozpetek (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9JzZVuhPlA).