What is a Hammam?
A Hamam or Hammam is a traditional Turkish spa or bathhouse. Nowadays you can find Hammams in other countries but has its origin in the Byzantine and Ottoman empire, what is currently Turkey. It is a place to cleanse, socialize and get a massage.
If you are traveling to Istanbul, going to a Hammam is a must in our opinion. It is a unique experience, it is quite different for man and woman. See the differences in the section Hammam for men and Hammam for women.
Stages of a Hammam
The Hammam is composed of 5 stages and these are usually done in the same order, which is:
Warm-up Room
The experience typically starts in a warm, humid environment where guests can unwind and begin to perspire. The aim of this first stage is getting the body ready for the coming cleansing procedure.
This process is usually performed alone, getting warm water from the fountains you can see in the picture.
The duration of this first stage is up to you, when you feel ready go ahead to the steaming room or go directly to the scrubbing.
In this stage we recommend appreciating the Hammam house as these are typically very beautiful, with windows as stars in the dome of the Hammam.
Later you will be concentrated in the massage and won’t appreciate the architecture of the building.
Steam Room
The steam room that occupies the hammam’s core space, is made to expose the skin to extreme humidity and steam. The skin is softened, the pores are opened. If you choose to go to the steam room I recommend you relax and mentalice yourself for the scrubbing and massage.
Be aware that not all hammams have steam rooms per se as it is the same one as the warm-up room, in some of them you will go directly from the warm-up room to the next stage without going to the steam room. Please ask the gentlemen or ladies depending if you are a man or woman where to go next if you are not sure.
Scrubbing
In the steam room, visitors are often scrubbed and exfoliated, this is made by a person working at the hammam, typically using a coarse mitt or glove called a “kese”. This process helps to remove dead skin cells and impurities from the skin.
This process will remind you of a hard pillow fight. As the “kese” at one point is filled with air and looks like a pillow. For men this stage can be painful as the men scrub really hard and they usually mix it with movements of the extremities.
If it is your first time, you will either laugh because someone is screaming of pain, or you will do the screaming. For the women it is a much more relaxed process so do not be scared.
Massage
After the exfoliation, visitors are washed with soap and warm water, followed by a massage. This massage can be done using gentle or not so gentle movements to promote an improved circulation.
The order sometimes changes and the massage is done first and then the scrubbing. As the massage is usually done with massage oil.
This is the main part of the Hammam in my opinion, where you will get a full body massage, with rhythmic movements that will leave you as new. The process can be painful for men, no so much for women.
Usually has a duration around 30 minutes, which is sufficient to massage all the nerves in the body. It will not feel short, trust me
Cooling Down
After the cleansing and massage, it is a good idea to take a shower with shampoo and gel because you will be full of oil from the massage. Take your time as the massage oil is a bit hard to get off.
Also change the towel for new one as it would we very wet at this point.
Differences of a Hammam for men and women
Hammams often have separate areas for men and women, and the customs and rituals can vary from place to place. The men usually wear only a towel in the waste, and the women a special panties.
Hammam for men
This differences are based on our expirence on traditional Hammams in Istanbul. Maybe other Hammams in other countries operate differently, in case of doubt ask at the reception of the facility in order to not leave disapointed.
Hammam for men are way more intense and painful than for women. The main difference is the massage part, were for women is more relaxed for men is painful, as the masseuse is usually a big Turkish man which intend is to massage the nerves of your body and the tensed parts.
Depending on what you order, the massage will be more or less long, but usually they last around 30 minutes. They consist of a full body massage where you will feel all the nerves on your body, it is quite a unique experience and quiet painful. But afterwards you feel very relaxed, as if you survived a war.
Hammam for women
Overall the Hammam experience for women is much more relaxed. As stated usually there are separate parts for men and women. In the women sections there are only women staff.
Be advised that usually the women go topless and with a small special panties. At least this has been our experience in the Hammams Istanbul.
It is not a painful process as it is for the men, it is a much more relaxed process, so do not expect the same experience as a men. We recommend this Hammam in the old part of the European part of Istanbul.
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