Turkish Baths: Intimate Versions of Modern Day Spas
Almost everyone loves a good massage, a clean scrub, nice steam rooms and a warm bath. These are also offered by modern day spas, with package deals, though I always feel something missing from them, as if relaxation is a mandatory requirement, as if when you are in a spa, you have to have a relaxed face with calm breaths and all those symptoms of relaxation. I must say, I am not a big fan of them. Hamams (or Turkish baths) are different. They are built to clean you, not unwind you, no one expects you to make that relaxed face at the end, they just expect you to smell of soap, and that relaxation persists. In Istanbul, there are many hamams, but never go to a mixed gender hamam. Traditional hamams are about bonding with your real friends under a historical dome, cleaning your soul together with cleaning your body. Unlike spas, no one expects you to be quiet in a hamam, instead, everyone reveal their hearts, and gossip, under that concealed space. As you might understand from the l
