Top 10 Turkish Bath Benefits · The art of Hammam
Top 10 Turkish Bath Benefits · The art of Hammam
What is a Turkish Bath?
Actually, it is a combination of many SPA facilities. It is a mixture of warm humid air, hot marbles, foam massage and a cold-water shower at the end. The Hammam originated in the Middle East and according to Wikipedia.com, archeological remains attest their existence as early as the Umayyad period, around 7th century. In Islamic cultures, the importance of Hammam was both civic and religious
What will happen in a Turkish Bath?
First thing you should need to know is that you will leave your clothes and accessories in a locked changing room, then leave for the actual ritual only in your swimsuit, slippers and peshtemals wrapped around you. (The Peshtemals are a special kind of towels for Hammam use.)
After you change, you will be guided to the waiting/lounge area. It is normally a perfect temperature, well lighted and beautifully decorated room, where you can serve a cold drink or a tea. At some fancy hotel spas, they also serve smoothies.
The next step is entering the actual Turkish Bath. You will find a large room with all around heated marble benches with sinks attached and a very big, heated marble platform in the middle.
First you should sit on the heated marble and pour room temperature water on it and on yourself, do it for about 10 minutes. This is how you prepare for the actual bath and foam massage.
The massage is also bathing
The therapist will cover you in foam and massage you with it, using a special wash cloth, made of natural fibers. It usually lasts for 30-40 minutes and traditionally ends with a pat on the back.
After the massage it is good to take a cold and quick shower or a shock shower. (constant hot/cold water combination)
As a personal opinion, I would like to say that I prefer the Hammams located in hotels instead of a traditional/public one. It is clean in both situations, don’t worry, and both of them are wonderfully designed. In a public bath, you are a little bit rushed, it is more crowded and you will pay admission and massage fee. At a hotel, entering the Hammam is free, you only pay for the massage.
Top 10 Turkish Bath Benefits
Because of the humid air, that helps the pores expand, and the use of a special natural fiber wash cloth:
- Removes dead skins
- Brightens and softens your skin
The heated marble is also beneficial, in combination with the humid air:
- Favors kidney functioning
- Allows the elimination of toxins and uric acid
- Airways hydration
The benefits of the foam massage:
- Allows deep relaxation
- Decreased anxiety
- Decreased stress
- Increased blood circulation
- Cellulite reduction
And for sure there are a lot more benefits, but I just want to add a special one at the end:
- You will feel as fancy as the super-rich, that were staying in the first-class area of the Titanic. It was a rich only practice in those days in the Western Europe.
So going at the Hammam, while visiting the Middle East is…
Travelicious.