HAMMAM OR TURKISH-STYLE MASSAGE

From Roman bath to hammam

To start, a bit of history. The Turkish hammam originates from ancient Roman salt baths. The first known bath belonged to the rulers of the Arab Caliphate between 660 and 750 AD. Such hammams were initially built in the wild desert, and only later became an inseparable part of urban life.

The construction was designed so that the heat generated by a boiler of boiling water would penetrate the interior of the room through openings in the walls. The room itself is lined with marble. Also made of marble is the warm table upon which treatments take place.

Of course, in ancient times, the hammam served not only a medicinal role. It was also a center of social life, a meeting place for the local population. In modern Turkey, hammams still function and are an undoubted tourist attraction. Travel agencies organize trips to larger hammams, and many hotels are also equipped with them. What is it like in a hammam?

To begin with – the sauna

The hammam is a ritual, and you should prepare for it accordingly. First, we use the steam bath.
High temperature causes blood vessels to dilate, while the low temperature during the cooling of the body, i.e., during the break, causes them to constrict. In this way, we harden our body.

The steam sauna is recommended for people on slimming diets because it accelerates digestion. After taking a steam bath a few times, we can notice greater elasticity and firmness of our skin. Thanks to this, creams or lotions applied after the sauna are better absorbed into the skin. Using a steam sauna also has a major impact on our well-being. Under the influence of high temperature, our body produces happiness hormones, i.e., endorphins.

We spend a maximum of 30 minutes in the sauna. Then we head to the hammam.

Warm marble

In the hammam, we are taken over by the bath attendant, who performs a full-body exfoliation with a kessa glove. You lie on your back on the warm marble table, and they begin the scrub from your forehead, moving down your body to the tips of your toes. Then you turn over onto your stomach, and the nape of the neck, shoulders, back, back of the legs, and soles of the feet are exfoliated. After the scrub, the body is thoroughly rinsed, followed by a foam massage.

The foam massage is a totally amazing sensation. The touch of the foam enveloping the body is confusing at first. You feel something delicate and warm, yet it is so soft, almost fleeting, that it feels unreal. Once the body is covered in foam, the attendant begins a quick full-body massage. This massage is most often an introduction to the further procedure that will take place after leaving the hammam.

When the foam massage is over, the body is rinsed and dried. Usually, at this point, there is a moment of relaxation, for example, with a face mask and pomegranate tea. Then the masseur comes into action.

They perform a massage reminiscent of a Thai massage: intense, at times even painful, but after this massage, you can clearly feel a surge of energy and vitality.

You will find hammams in European cities, but if fate takes you to Turkey – be sure to use a real Turkish bath. It will certainly be an unforgettable experience.