Are you interested in enjoying a Turkish Bath (Hammam) but worried about whether it’s compatible with your chronic pain? I had reservations about the practice going in, but in my opinion, the benefits far outweigh the chance it will aggravate existing injuries or pain.
What is a Hammam?
A Hammam, commonly known as a Turkish Bath, is an important part of Turkish culture. Its origins can be traced back to the Romans, however unlike the other Roman baths, Hammams have no pools of standing water in which to ‘bathe’ in the same way. Cleanliness and purity are important pillars in Islamic life and shared public bathing pools are understandably not considered to be as clean.
Hammams have always been considered an essential part of Turkish life, particularly for women. Throughout history, the weekly bath was usually the only time women could gather and reconnect without the presence of their husbands. Celebrating new births and marriages was typical as well as sharing personal gossip and medical information. In Turkey, the practice was so important that a woman had grounds for divorce if her husband did not provide her with an allowance to regularly visit the hammam.
What can I expect?
There are a few different variations depending on your budget and whether you are happy to go the self-service route. The most common bath packages include;
Access to a changing room and peshtemal (a kind of Turkish towel to cover up)
10-15 minutes in a hot sauna-like room
An exfoliation and dead skin removal by an attendant in the hot room, followed by washing (water is usually thrown on you from a bowl)
A traditional foam massage.
You can also add on extras such as a facial, salt scrub or traditional relaxing massage. Alternatively, you can ask around for baths where you can pay only an admission fee and wash yourself. This is a viable option if you feel uncomfortable about anyone else touching you, however, you will have a very different experience.
Do I have to be naked?
The quick answer is no. Nearly all bathhouses are divided up between men's and women's sections, although many now have a ‘mixed section’ that couples and friends can visit together. Even in the women’s only baths nudity is rare, with most choosing to wear swimsuits. The fixation on nudity and sexuality around public baths is often rooted in Western ‘orientalism’, a racist ideology that depicts Eastern cultures as overtly sexual and should not be considered as a historical or cultural fact.
When I booked my bath they automatically booked me for a time and day when only women were present. During the exfoliation and massage, they simply shifted my bikini to wash as much as possible.
As a side note, when trying to find a bath many online descriptions and reviews indicated that some mixed-gender baths were operated by male staff only. You may not have an issue with this but I made sure to find one with women staff.
Does it cause any pain?
I was a little apprehensive about being scrubbed so vigorously, especially when they did not know about my widespread chronic pain. But like with many things, I wanted to try it and I was prepared to speak up if the experience caused any issues. I experienced no more pain throughout the process than I would during a gentle stretch. The exfoliation was gentler than expected, and the hardest part was actually continuing to roll onto my stomach and back on a soapy marble table. However, I did this pretty slowly and shared a few laughs with my attendant.
After I opted for a 30 min relaxing massage in the cool room, which felt amazing after all my muscles had relaxed during the bath and in the hot room.
What are the health benefits?
Turkish people are quick to tell you all the ways that visiting hammams can improve your health. As well as providing mental and physical relaxation, exposure to warm environments like hammams or steam rooms can detox the body and remove excess salt. That combined with the exfoliation will purify your skin, leaving it looking brighter and refreshed. Along the coast in tourist areas, many hammams are quick to tell you that it will not damage your sun tan but improve it. I don’t know if it improved mine or not, given it was 40 degrees every day it was impossible not to get tanned.
Where to go
Istanbul is ground zero for hammams and the biggest issue is choosing where to go. Because Istanbul was the first city I visited I opted to skip the bath and wait until the end of my trip when I needed relaxation the most. I went to Old Turkish Bath in Fethiye, and while I won’t be the first to recommend it as a must-visit town, the bathhouse was an absolute highlight. The building is over 150 years old and they pride themselves on being as traditional as possible over being the “cheapest”.
How much does it cost?
That question is almost impossible to answer based on where you go, what time of year or any additional packages. Turkiye is also dealing with insane inflation so prices are constantly changing. My bath, salt rub, face mask and 30 min massage cost me 50 Euros in peak travel season.
In Conclusion
I can see no reason why chronic pain should stop you from partaking in a traditional Turkish bath. As it's such an important part of Turkish culture it would be a shame to miss out. However, if you don’t want to be touched you can ask around and find out where the local population bathes and simply pay the entrance fee. You won’t get all the amenities but you will have the opportunity to partake in a local custom and not a ‘tourist’ bath. The decision is yours!
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