Traditional Turkish Bath & Massage at Hamam

Visiting a Hamam (Turkish bath) is a must-do Turkish holiday experience. Bring your own shampoo, soap and towel. As is customary of Turkish culture / Muslim etiquette, it is divided into separate men’s and women’s sections. After removing your clothing and donning the towel provided (Pestemal), you are ushered through to the warm main room (Hararet) with its large, heated stone (Gobek tasi) and basins (Kurnas) lining the walls. An attendant will show you to a changing area. Some hamams allow patrons to leave valuables with the attendant at the front desk, or in special cubicles (camekan). Men generally strip naked and wrap the pestemal strategically around their waists .Turkish women frequently strip naked in the bath, but wear underwear under your pestemal upon entrance until you can gauge the attitudes of a given hamam.

Some hamams have a hot, sauna-like room where you can lie and warm yourself to the point of near-light-headedness. After you’ve worked up a sweat, proceed to the warm main room with its large, heated stone (gobektasi).You can bathe yourself at the basins that line the walls, mixing hot and cold water in them, and pouring it over yourself with the bowl provided. Men should never drop their pestemal; cleaning one’s lower half is tricky, but not impossible.

You usually pay extra to be washed and receive a massage on the large heated marble stone. Typically, masseuse and client are of the same gender; female visitors may request a female masseuse if they wish to be on the safe side. Don’t be shocked if your masseur or masseuse is only wearing underwear. The massage is sometimes harder than what most visitors expect; try the phrase “lutfen daha yumusak” (gentler please) if you are in any pain. The kese (abrasive mitt) is used to strip excess skin cells beyond all imagination; these can also be purchased at pharmacies so that you can perform your own exfoliation. Following the massage and kese, you will usually be sponged gently and shampooed.

Once you feel you have reached optimum cleanliness, return to your cubicle, order a drink and relax before returning to the dusty world outside. 

DETAILS
Location: We drive half an hour to Isparta 
Hours: generally from 20:00 to 22:00 ( but we can organize also tailor made timing)
Coast: mn. 3 person Per person price is 140 tl.