How to Hammam

Tough Love Travel can demystify many elements of travel, from hammams to handling money abroad. 

Come on -- ask me your thorny questions!  

Hammam -- the traditional communal baths found from Turkey to Morocco -- are a cultural as well as physical treat!

Want to try it, but intimidated?

Got a dozen questions:  Are you naked?  Is it coed?

Want to get a "lay of the land" before you jump in?

"How To Hammam" comes to the rescue with these 8 FAQs!

ARE HAMMAMS SEPARATED BY GENDER?

Yes, some hammams are exclusively for men or women. Others are open for women during certain hours of the day - usually the early part of the  day - and reserved for men later in the evening. Be sure to ask in advance so that you aren't embarrassed by trying to enter at the wrong time of day.

WHAT DO YOU WEAR IN THE HAMMAM?

You enter the hammam in your street clothes, but to enter the bathing rooms, women change into a basic underpant.  You'll wear this during the entire bathing process -- you are never completely nude.  The hammam often supplies this garment as part of your entry fee, but, just in case, bring along an extra pair of your own. 

WHAT SERVICES CAN YOU GET AT A HAMMAM? 

Hammam entry includes a good scrub.  In fact, a girlfriend of mine once described the hammam like this: 

They'll scrub parts of your body that you didn't know existed!  

In addition, you can purchase massage, seaweed wraps, facials, manicures/pedicures, and even reflexology.

WHAT'S THE PROCESS?

Because the hammam has roots in Greek-Roman history, its design is still based on 3 interconnected rooms: 

The first section, known as the iliklik, is where you start.   You'll get undressed, leave your clothing in a locker, and don a pestemal (cotton body wrap or basic panty).    Leave your towel there, too -- there's no place to put it in the hammam.  Proceed, in your undergarment only, to this lukewarm section to adapt your body temperature. 

NOTE:  Many of us Westerners feel a little awkward walking around, practically naked, but you'll quickly realize that people neither care nor notice.  Grandmas are there as well as Moms with their 9-year-old daughters. 

Section two is the hot area where the central, heated stone platform is located.  It's surrounded by small basins, called kurna, and either benches or, in some cases, private bathing cubicles. 

You'll take your bucket (supplied by hammam) and scoop pailfuls over your body, using the hottest water tolerable.   You may use soap also to wash off, but never mix soap in your bucket of water.  Use the bucket only for pouring clean water from the tap over your body.    The hot water brings you to a sweat, making your skin pliable and loofah-ready.

After you personally wash off, you lie on the stone platform called the Gobek Tasi (the center round stone, shown above) for an attendant to scrub you.  Be ready - the scrub is hearty!  And don't be surprised by, first, how much dead skin rolls off your body and, second, how remarkably clean you feel afterwards.

After full exfoliation, you can enjoy a massage and men are sometimes offered a stretch.  Be ready -- both can be strenuous.

As the baths proceed, steam fills the hammam atrium.   Little arrows of sunlight stream through the steam from the dome's tiny star windows, creating a magical scene above you, as you lie flat, warmed by the marble slab.

Section three is a space where you can take a private shower and shampoo and, occasionally, a soak in the jacuzzi.
Just as in our American spas, there's typically a relaxing room, or  sogukluk, where you can pause before exiting the hammam.

WHAT DO HAMMAMS COST?

Basic hammam entry is about 20 TL (or about $12) and extra services are priced as follows:

WHAT'S THE MOST FAMOUS HAMMAM IN ISTANBUL?

Cagaloglu Hamami!   It was built in 1741 by Mahmut II to bring in revenue to support St Sophia.  Over the centuries,  Florence Nightingale, German Emperor Wilhelm II, Harrison Ford, and Cameron Diaz have all been visitors of this famous historic hammam.   The NYT chose Cagaloglu Hamami as one of the 1000 Places To See Before You Die, and its popularity comes not only by its historic value but also by its magical atmosphere inside.

NOTE:  CAGALOGLU hammam is located on Yerebatan Street, in Istanbul.

Other remarkable hammam is Suleymaniye Hamami.  It was built in the 1600s by the great architect Sinan, and has remarkable artwork inside ( as well as a hookah bar).

WHAT HAMMAM IS RECOMMENDED IN MOROCCO?
My favorite hammam in Casablanca is Hammam Ziani (59, Rue Abou Rakrak, Ben Jdia)
In Morocco, the soap for hammams is bought in the souk, and looks like this: 

WHAT ABOUT BASIC NEIGHBORHOOD HAMMAMS? 
Unlike the full service hammams above, other hammams are small informal local affairs. 
Although these experiences are just as refreshing and, perhaps, even more companionable,  they do require a bit more planning. 
You'll need to take your own supplies:  bucket (or 2), soap, waterproof flip flops,  black rough scrubbing mitt, personal items, large bag to hold clothes, towel, and small change for gratuity for locker room attendant. 

Also in these local hammams, it's common for bathers to scrub each other's backs, so be prepared.

Where's YOUR next adventure? 

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