The Benefits of a Turkish Bath

Mimar Sinan’s iconic Ottoman architecture brought this 500-year old bath designed for Hurrem Sultan – wife of Suleiman the Magnificent – to life over 500 years ago. Renovated and revitalized again in 2024, its enchanting atmosphere will take you back in time.

Once inside, prepare to leave your clothes behind and relax on a central marble platform known as gobek tasi. Experienced male or female therapists will then provide traditional kese (scrubbing) and massage therapies.

The Hammam Experience

Turkish baths have long been considered one of the premier beauty treatments, helping to soothe both body and mind. While traditionally men and women would separate in separate hammams, nowadays most bath houses allow gender mixing while keeping sauna and steam rooms separate for hygiene reasons.

Once inside a hammam, you’ll be guided into its changing rooms and instructed to disrobe down to your undergarment (although some bathhouses provide small towels to protect modesty). After undressing completely, enjoy an experience! Expect cleansing rituals in different rooms such as the hot sauna, scrubbing room and washroom – exactly which will depend on which bathhouse you visit; plus you can customize your hammam experience depending on how much money you want to spend!

At a hammam, the scrubbing room is at the heart of every experience, where you will be vigorously scrubbed down with a rough mitt called a kese to exfoliate dead skin and impurities while leaving skin feeling silky smooth. Your attendant, known as either natir for women or tellak for men will provide social interaction as they exfoliate while giving massages using this tool which many find deeply relaxing; in some hammams this may even include facial treatments too; be sure to inquire further with them about such details if interested!

Sultan Selim Hammam in Istanbul both offer massage rooms where guests can get full body or foot massages; these appointments must be booked in advance and may incur an extra cost.

Once the scrubbing and rinsing has been completed, it’s time to relax in one of our warm marble therapy rooms – these help loosen muscles and soothe any aches or pains while offering you an opportunity to soak your hair in large bowls of water and shampoo it, helping remove any remaining oil or dirt. Finally, cold water showers provide a final rinse, before we allow you to dress again with fresh clothes!

Bathing

Experienced Turkish bath, or “hamam,” is not to be missed; this ancient world tradition has been refined over centuries by Romans, Byzantines, Seljuk Turks and Ottoman Turks alike, continuing today in many homes around the globe.

Although each hammam varies slightly in its approach to tradition and spa techniques, their basic concept remains consistent: A large warm steamy room containing a marble slab known as gobek tasi for massage and other treatments is typically featured. There may also be dressing areas to store clothes before entering the hot room itself and you will typically be provided with a robe and slippers (though you may bring your own).

As soon as you arrive, your therapist will apply a soapy lather all over your body while you relax in warmth. Next comes scrubbing with an exfoliating glove or cloth called a kese, where assistant scrub away dead skin until pieces come off in small pieces – truly relaxing experience that leaves you feeling lighter and more energized than before!

Once you are ready, your therapist will start with an amazing bubble wash before giving a relaxing massage that feels tailor-made for restorative bliss. At the end of your visit, cold water bowls will drench you before being wrapped up in a pestemal for extra rejuvenation as you leave the hammam feeling revitalized and restored.

Experiences at hammams have become so acclaimed that locals regularly frequent them after work or school. Scrubbing and massage help loosen tight muscles, improve circulation and flush toxins out of pores – perfect for relieving arthritis symptoms by opening pores to release inflammation and increase oxygen flow – leaving guests feeling completely revitalized with peace of mind and serenity they can take with them into their daily lives.

Massage

A Turkish bath provides a comfortable environment in which to sweat freely and open up pores for natural detoxification, helping your skin tone and texture improve while decreasing acne scars, blackheads and other imperfections. Regular visits also promote and maintain healthy hair growth.

Steam from a hammam is proven to increase skin radiance and softness by stimulating circulation and feeding oxygen directly to cells, while its intense heat stimulates heat shock proteins that help boost your immune system to ward off infections or diseases.

Massage is a cornerstone of Turkish bath experience. A good quality therapist will use gentle yet firm pressure to relax your muscles and ease any tension you might be feeling. They may also use kese (a type of mitt) to exfoliate your skin to remove dirt, dead cells and impurities resulting in smoother, softer and more radiant looking skin for you to enjoy!

Your Tellak will use a rich soap-like foam during your massage to exfoliate and cleanse your skin further, followed by cold water rinsing afterward to leave you feeling relaxed and revitalized.

Turkish baths can help boost your metabolism and insulin sensitivity, aiding weight loss. Regular Turkish baths also can reduce water retention, enhance fat-burning capabilities, enhance digestion and nutrient absorption and provide deep relaxation that promotes restful night’s sleep – contributing to overall wellness.

But you should avoid Turkish baths during menstruation or pregnancy for several reasons, particularly the high heat which may exacerbate menstrual cramps or put your unborn child at risk; to be on the safe side and err on the side of caution.

Relaxation

Turkish baths induce deep states of relaxation that last long after you leave their cozy confines, providing a profound feeling of calm and serenity that can remain with you long after leaving hammams or Turkish baths. The combination of heat, humidity, and relaxation has proven its ability to lower stress levels while simultaneously raising self-esteem; and physical benefits include relieving muscle tension.

Scrubbing and massaging the body during a hammam experience helps remove dead skin cells, relax muscles and increase cell renewal rates. This process also serves to relieve muscle pain if you suffer from chronic back or joint issues.

Hammam experiences can not only relax you with their soothing scrubbing and massage sessions, but can also improve circulation by dilation of blood vessels caused by heat exposure in a hammam room. This may help alleviate many conditions including high blood pressure and heart disease.

Regular visits to a hammam can also help strengthen your immune system. This is due to its heat stimulating your body into producing HSP (heat shock proteins). HSPs have beneficial effects on damaged cells by stimulating DNA repair processes and activating stem cell activation; plus they improve immune response and antibody production which allows your body to ward off infections more effectively.

Hammams offer great benefits in helping to cleanse your respiratory tract, with their warm and humid environments helping loosen clogged mucus and clear sinuses, relieving coughing and congestion as well as coughing fits. Furthermore, the hammam can enhance sleep quality by relieving stress and encouraging relaxation.

While hammams provide an ideal way to unwind and recharge, it should be remembered that they may not be appropriate for all individuals. When pregnant or menstruating, high temperatures could potentially cause cramping as well as present risks to both mother and unborn baby.