Hammam is a whole philosophy, a whole world of pleasure for the spirit and body
Hammam... This word seems to melt in the mouth, leaving a sweet aftertaste. You just want to close your eyes and mentally transport yourself there, leaving behind all the worries and problems of everyday life. What is a hammam, why is it needed, and how to visit it correctly – these are the topics of the article that we bring to your attention.
Turkish hammam is a traditional Turkish bath. Hammams have a completely unique history. Indirectly, they owe their appearance to Alexander the Great, who brought the custom of building baths to the Arabs. Then the Turks, who knew a thing or two about pleasure, turned hammams into a real center of enjoyment and, in fact, gave them that name. Of course, a modern hammam is something more than just a bath and certainly something more than an ordinary beauty salon with a steam room.
Hammam is a whole philosophy, a whole world of pleasure for the spirit and body. What is its secret? In the special design of the room, where all the necessary heat is obtained from steam. The roof of the hammam is made in the form of a dome, down the walls of which drops of condensed steam flow. At the same time, not only the walls are heated, but also the floor and the loungers, which are made entirely of marble. The decorations of the Turkish bath amaze with their luxury and refinement.
How to visit a hammam correctly? Any Turkish bath begins with a sauna heated to 80 degrees. It should be visited in three sessions, while you can go out and dip into a cool pool. When the body is fully warmed up, you can enter the last sauna for peeling. It is done with a special glove (called "kese"), which gently removes the dead layer from the body. After that, the bath attendant proceeds to foam massage. The foam is whipped in a special bowl, and different oils are used to create the foam, for example, linseed or olive oil.
About the bath attendants, we must say separately: they must be true masters of their craft, practically professional massage therapists. When they are at work, it may seem from the outside that the person under their hands is mercilessly showered with blows. But the one who is lying on the warm marble lounger at that moment experiences indescribable pleasure. The massage relieves the body of fatigue, muscles become flexible, and thoughts become bright and clear.
Without a doubt, the hammam is hugely popular, primarily among women, because the bath can rejuvenate and refresh the skin. Therefore, many beauty salons have adopted Turkish baths. Even in ancient times, women in Turkey devoted an entire day to visiting the hammam. For them, it was a real ritual, and even men had no right to stop their wives and not let them go to the bath. At sunrise, women gathered in the hammam, talked, exchanged news and gossip. Who knows, maybe the hustle and bustle of the modern world will prompt today's women to revive this tradition?