Istanbul Attractions

Venue: Cagaloglu Hammam    When: Daily

The Cagaloglu Hammam was built in the 1500s and is the oldest functioning hammam (Turkish steam bath) in Istanbul. Inside, the arched portals are one feature of the building's fantastic architecture.

A hammam is a very religious place, since physical purification plays a major role in the Islamic faith - the tellak who will greet you is a combination of bouncer, attendant and masseur. As bouncer he ejects anyone who displays his or her genitals, as attendant he gives you towels to wear and the traditional footwear of a hammam, the malma or wooden clogs.

Passing through a short passageway, you enter the harara or steam room. As you do so you may hear the tellak shriek - the shouts purge the room of dijans, spirits who are thought to dwell in the clouds of steam.

There are five stages to a traditional hammam experience. First the body is "seasoned" with heat as you lie down on the octagonal marble slab. Then the tellak and helpers vigorously massage the body. This is a stretching and sometimes painful experience. Don't worry, though, they know what they are doing and the steam gives an elasticity to muscles which makes the massage so deep. The third stage is a peeling off of the outer layer of skin known as tozu and involves depilation of the armpit and pubic hair. This is done in private by a bather in a solitary nook of the hammam known as a halvet. Razor blades or depilation powder are available at the hammam for this phase, although it is by no means obligatory for a visitor. The fourth stage is a thorough soaping and the fifth a relaxation where you sit very still, putting yourself back together after a marathon hygiene session!

Men and women can both attend the Cagaloglu Hammam, but they bathe separately.