HAMAM
One of the truly unmissable experiences of a trip to Turkey is a visit to the hamam. Like
the harem, this Roman and Byzantine tradition was adopted and then perfected by the Selcuk
Turks, for whom the public bath took on an important role. It was not merely a place where
believers could fulfill the Islamic precept of cleanliness. It was a place in which to
mingle, socialize and gossip. Women would proceed from their harem to the hamam with great
ceremony, accompanied by servants heavily-laden with delicacies to tide the ladies over
the hours they would spend lounging in the steam. The young women used this opportunity to
show off their ornately embroidered towels and ivory inlaid slippers, not to mention their
youthful figures, while older women would spot potential wives for their sons. Men would
discuss the latest court scandal or talk business and politics. Contrary to popular ideas,
hamams have always been either permanently designated for one of the sexes, or have a
separate schedule for men and women.
Traditionally, a whole range of
paraphernalia is associated with the hamam. The pestamal, a colourful, checked cloth which
is wrapped around the waist by men is still in use. Takunyalar, or wooden clogs, often
inlaid or carved, have generally been replaced by plastic flip-flops. Soap, shampoo and
other toiletries were carried in hand crafted copper or even gold plated tarak kutusu,
literally comb boxes, and a copper tas was used to pour water over the bather. While some
of these are no longer used, they are still widely available to buy, and are guaranteed to
add to the pleasure of the hamam experience.
Many hamams were built during the
Ottoman era, including forty by Sinan himself. Externally, they have a distinctive domed
profile, with bottle glass directing beams of light inwards. The first room encountered is
the camekan, a square court with a fountain surrounded by small individual changing
cubicles. This leads into a small sogukluk, or cooling off section, opening into the
hararet, the hot and steamy, marble clad baths.
A raised marble platform graces the
centre of the hararet. Known as the gobek tasi, or navel stone, it is positioned above the
wood or coal furnaces which heat the hamam. The bather lies here for a vigorous massage or
a kese, which involves the removal with a rough cloth glove of a lifetimes worth of dead
skin. On leaving the hamam, you may recover with a cold drink in the camekan or simply
stretch out on the reclining couch in your private changing cubicle.
Hamams have largely gone out of
fashion in Turkey. However many historical hamams survive, and a visit is highly
recommended. In Istanbul the most popular are the historic Galatasaray Hamam in Beyoglu,
and Cagaloglu Hamam in Sultanahmet, though local baths are often just as good and much
cheaper. Bursa is famed for its baths and spas.
