The Turkish Hamam, A Luxury That Left Me Wanting More
- Aliya Thobani
- Apr 13, 2020
- 4 min read
Nestled between the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia in Sultan Ahmet Istanbul, the Ayasofya Hürrem Sultan Hamamı has a grandeur about it. It was built in the 16th Century (1556AD-1557AD) by the request of the wife (Roxelana) of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman.
I've been to Istanbul numerous times and have visited multiple Turkish Hamams, but something about this unique experience has left me wanting more.
Turkish Hamam: a hot steam hydro-therapy treatment for both the mental and physical state. It's a large room with marble and stone structures, wash basins, temperatures of 40°C-50°C and humidity of 100%. The Hamam is usually segregated by gender. A female masseuse will work on a female and a male masseur on a male. My day at the Hamam:
It was a rainy day when I decided that it was a perfect day for some 'me' time at the hamam.
I had booked myself the 110 min top tier Royal/Sultana package known as the AB-I Hayat and was excited to get on with it. So much so that I mistakenly walked into the mens quarters (oops...) and only realized this after I saw the men walking around in their robes and started gesturing that I get out of there.
Ok, so now that the embarrassing part is over, let's start over.
I walked into the ladies' section where I was greeted by a friendly front desk attendant. I paid her for my services and was then shown to my own private change room fully equipped with my personal care kit consisting of specially designed bath-glove (kese), shampoo, conditioner, Judas tree scent body lotion, natural olive oil soap, disposable anti-slip slippers and underwear.
Note: This is not for the shy person. You have to wear just the underwear in order to be cleansed. It is a bath after all.Once changed, I was led into my own private quarter (de-stress time) and was served with Turkish drinks and delicious Turkish delights.
It's Hamam Time!
The masseuse literally led me (held my hand and walked me) into the Grand Room - the steamy Hamam itself, to my very own private wash area. There were others there, but because this was a royal package, the whole section was blocked off for me. I know, I felt like a princess, or even better the Queen of the castle (or wash area lol).
This is where the masseuse first left me for about 15 minutes to soak up that heat. This starts the sweating process and gets rid of toxins in the body.
Once the 15 minutes were up, she came back to wash me from head to toe before we headed into the warmest quarter of the hamam where I had to lay down on the marble/stone top. This is where my traditional body scrubbing and relaxing bubble wash was performed - it totally helps with blood circulation!
The full body, head and neck bubble massage was so invigorating; I was covered with this hallow ball of soapy liquid and at this point I was ready to head back to my hotel and take a nap. But of course there's more!
Now that I was clean and had been through my first massage, the masseuse led me back to my private wash area where a 15 min full body clay mask was applied, after which I was washed. Since this was the final wash, a sweet scented soap and shampoo/conditioner was applied.
Oh wait! There's more pampering! I was wrapped in a thin towel and led to another private room where a face mask and full body, face and foot massage was given. By this time, I was so relaxed. My body felt like jelly and I felt that all my worries had disappeared, time had stopped and I was clearly floating away into a land of deep sleep.
I wish that massage had never ended, but of course it did and the final step was food!
In the main courtyard, a platter of fresh fruit, tea, coffee, and cucumber water was laid out for me to enjoy. Which I did! I savored every bite and took my time to relax and enjoy before heading back to my change room and then to the hotel where I finally slept like a baby.
Benefits of the Hamam
Steam in the hamam cleanses the respiratory tract as you inhale it.
Deep cleansing and moisturizing thus leaving the skin soft and supple.
De-stressing and calming.
Eliminates toxins thereby stimulating the immune system.
Improves blood circulation.
Relaxes the muscles.
Would I go back? Yes! This hamam is worth every penny and I am counting down the days so that I can head back to this place which is heaven on earth.
You may want to check it out too the next time you're in Istanbul. You could go by yourself, or have parties like birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette (pre-wedding parties) and mother/daughter days, or just hang out day with your friends. Get the AB-I Hayat package!
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