Many foreigners feel intimidated by the idea of bathing in public, but we promise Turkish baths are not nearly as scary as many people think. In fact, you’ll leave feeling utterly relaxed and glowing with skin as soft as a baby’s.
The Turkish hammam experience depends on the country and how “fancy” the bath is. But in general, all baths are segregated by gender. When you go in, you’ll be in a locker area where you can undress and put your clothes and things away. Normally, you either keep your bottom underwear on or wear a pair of a cloth given to you by the hammam.
Once you’re ready, you can enter the warm room, and this area is usually a visual feast for the eyes. A round basin dominates the circular space, which is tiled with intricate mosaics. At the top, light filters through, bouncing off the tiles and providing a hypnotizing haze. You’ll sit here for a while, letting the steam open up your pores and soften the dead skin that you definitely have, even if you don’t know it.
When enough time has passed, you can start the scrubbing part of the experience. The bath section is sometimes separated from the warm room by marble slabs, but not always. Traditionally, you pay a bathing assistant to scrub your body vigorously using special soap and a washcloth. These expert bathers know exactly how to get off the gray layer of dead skin that is usually just sitting there.
Then, they’ll wash you with cool water. You’ll be amazed by how much skin comes off — and how beautiful and soft the skin underneath is. But if you don’t feel comfortable with someone rubbing you while you’re half-naked, you are definitely welcome to scrub yourself.
If you really want to do it right, you should then go back to the warm room, where another assistant will lather you up with foam and give you a quick and relaxing massage, before rinsing you again. You are then very much welcome to stay in the steam, enjoying the glow of your rejuvenated skin and partaking in the socialization aspect of the Turkish bath.
