Hammams exist all over Turkey, and in Istanbul alone, there are 237 in place, with 60 still used daily. 

Hammam is the Arabic spelling of the word, but in Turkish, it is actually ‘hamam.’ You’ll see Hammam referred to in different ways and spellings, but they’re all identical. You’ll also hear ‘Turkish bath’ used commonly in tourist resorts, but they’re referring to the same experience. A Hammam is a steam bath, but the Turkish version has a few added extras, i.e., it’s far more thorough and leaves you squeaky clean. 

The History Of Hammams

In the day, hammams were built very close to mosques or within mosque complexes as a cleansing ritual before prayer. As a Muslim, it’s extremely important to wash and purify the body before praying, especially before going into a house of worship. 

When taking a hammam, you are not only clean but also go through the sauna, which means you sweat out any toxins and impurities, leaving you as clean as possible. Not only are you physically clean, but spiritually clean too. 

During Ottoman rule, hammams were considered to be a social activity too. If you think about the ruins of Roman cities we find these days, there are usually remnants of public baths – this is roughly the same kind of thing. Istanbul was formerly under Roman rule, and the Ottomans carried on this tradition and tweaked it to fit in with local life. 

Traditionally, hammams were places to discuss events and even gossip. Hammams were (and many still are) separated for men and times for women, which gave women a chance to get out of the house and gossip with their friends. This could even be considered a great time to find potential matches for their sons to marry. 

These days, hammams are much less formal; however, in Istanbul and other large cities, you’ll find that they tend to resemble those from back in the day. Most large hotels and tourist resorts have more modern versions of hammams, with extras offered, such as pedicures, fish pedicures, and Swedish massages.