'Hamam', or Turkish bath is the Middle Eastern variant of a steam bath. The process involves is closely related to the bathing practices of the Romans.
We have watched clips from a travel programme and it showed the presenter being twisted and pressed on a marble platform. I don't fancy being twisted, but I still want the Turkish experience.
We took a recommendation from an Internet site and we decided to visit one of the oldest and most popular haman in Istanbul. (Istanbul's oldest hamam is the Çemberlitaş Hamami, which was built in 1584. Unfortunately, it is also much more crowded)
Cağaloğlu Hamam is located in the Cagaloglu neighbourhood, which is relatively closed to Sultanehmet (where the Blue Mosque is). The hamman was built in 1741 by the order of Sultan Mahmut I to provide revenue for the library of Sultan Mahmut and the Aya Sofya. Since then, it has remained more or less unchanged.
This hamam was unique in its use of Baroque and Classic Ottoman architectural motifs and was the last of the great hamam to be built before Sultan Mustafa III forbade their construction due to the increasing demand for water and wood in Istanbul.
So how does the hamam operate?
The hamam has separate sections for men and women. Upon entering the hamam, we were greeted by a person at the front desk and we chose the package that we want. They issued us with ticket and we were then be shown to the camekan (dressing room), which is located in a square indoor courtyard with a marble fountain in the centre. The whole courtyard is lined with these changing cubicles.
My attendant (known as a natır in a women’s bath and a tellak in the male establishment) gave me a peştemal (a silk or cotton wrap) to cover my body and a pair of nalın (special wooden clogs which is decorated with mother-of-pearl), along with the key to my dressing room, which I get to hold on to.
Once I was ready, I made my way to an antechamber called the soğukluk (tepidarium), where I get to adjust to the heat. It also contains the lavatories and a room for hair removal.
Then, I was led into the sıcaklık or harrare (caldarium). It is hot and quite steamy in here. The room itself is very beautiful: there was a high dome and arched windows, a göbek taşı (marble platform) in the centre and bathing alcoves, in pretty coloured quartz tiles to the side. The tiles are supposed to remove the static electricity from the air, and help to relax the mind and body. I started off by pouring warm water over myself to get relaxed. Once I was feeling comfortable and relaxed, the attendant came in and begin the 'wash'. My attendant didn't speak any English so there wasn't much communication going on. We just smiled at each other the whole time!
I stretched out on the marble platform because I was the only one in the bath at the time. The platform itself is warm as it is heated from beneath. I looked up and saw the beams of sunlight shooting into the room from the holes in the high dome. It was very beautiful!
The attendant promptly gave me a brief massage and a rinse with generous amount of soap and water. Then she use a cloth made of coarse raw silk to exfoliate my skin. A thick layer of dead skin came off. It was almost scary seeing that amount of skin being scrubbed away!
At this point, another girl joined us in the room and she was clearly not very comfortable with the procedures. I told her it is customary to start off rinsing yourself first. The attendant allows for plenty of time for you to do that.
Meanwhile, my attendant was working up a serious lather with a lacy cloth. I was then covered from head to toe with white froth! So I stopped talking, relax and enjoy.
The attendant gave me a full body massage. It was very comfortable and not ticklish at all! Even my head got a massage and it was indeed a wonderful scalp massage. The attendant used cleansing milk for my hair and she also combed my hair after the massage. Before I know it, it is over. I almost fell asleep!
I was rinsed with warm water again. The attendant then told me that it was the end and she disappeared into another room. I spent a few more minutes in the room to rinse myself, to immerse myself in the lovely surroundings. By now, there was a grand total of 3 customers in the room.
When I exit the harrare, I was handed fresh towels and then I returned to my cubicle to have a lay down. The manager of the cubicles gave me a pack with spare underwear and a comb. The comb came in handy because I didn't have one. Conscious of time, I dried my hair and then headed out to meet SP, who was already drinking Turkish coffee in the lobby area.
SP and I compared notes. We both had a good time. I was particularly glad that it wasn't ticklish (or painful!) at all. I am still not sure whether I've done all the right steps. Neverminding that, I found the experience very relaxing. It is something that I would definitely recommend!
For more information:
http://www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr/
We picked the most comprehensive package: Complete Oriental Luxury Service, which cost 72YTL pp. There are other packages available.
Hours: for men are daily 7am to 10pm, for women 8am to 8pm.
1 comment:
I was a bit disappointed really....am expecting a good looking masseur to sooth me up after 7 days in Istanbul. But instead a big gut hairy bloke!
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