Turkish Bath or HamamA Turkish bath, or hamam (also spelled "hammam), is a long-held tradition in Turkey, Morocco, and other areas of the middle east and north Africa. It involves a steam bath of varying temperatures, exfoliation, massage, and ritual. The hamam is much more than a steam bath or sauna. The cleansing and purification ritual takes several hours and involves warm and hot rooms, exfoliating scrub, a foamy bath, and relaxation in a cool room at the end of the process.
Hamams cater to both men and women, although they are separated. The process starts in a warm room where your body acclimates to the heat. The next step is the hot room, like a sauna, where you really build up a cleansing sweat. The hot room is followed by an exfoliating scrub to cleanse and invigorate, performed by an attendant. You'll also receive a massage. Finally, you are cleansed in a foamy, bubbly bath or Vichy shower. After the treatment is complete, you are led to a cool room, where you can relax with a cup of tea. A massage or mud facial can be included in the process, too. Hamams are a ritual practiced weekly in Turkey as a means of maintaining hygiene; in the west or the U.S., a hamam is generally used for relaxation. Hamams in Turkey are truly beautiful buildings, with elaborate carved water basins and tiled rooms. • Return to Spa Treatment Glossary D - I • Return to Spa Treatment Glossary S - Z • Return to Spa Body Treatments Return from Turkish Bath to Great Spa Vacations  |
