Turkish Bath
The Turkish Hamam or Turkish Bath is the direct successor to the Roman bath and has had a special place in Turkish tradition for hundreds of years. Traditionally the Hamam has a domed roof with thick bottle-glass lights set into the dome that concentrate the sunlight. Lying on the hot marble slabs it is easy to image yourself transported back to the time of the Saracens.
It is a place where you can rejuvenate both body and mind. After changing into the traditional 'Pestemal' a type of sarong, and wooden shoes called 'Takunya, your body is acclimatized with warm water, then scrubbed with 'loaf', to remove the top layers of dead skin cells and ingrained dirt.
The soap massage that follows is pure melting pleasure, leaving your skin refreshed, tingling and your whole body rejuvenated. A warm dry towel, a place to relax and a taste of Turkish delight ends the session, unless of course you want to go the whole way and take a sauna or Turkish massage.
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