Çemberlitaş Turkish Bath
- November 7th, 2010
Altough I’ve been living in Istanbul for 9 years, I’ve visited Cemberlitas Turkish bath first time ever… According to my hammam experience – One time is enough! Because that place is very hot, hard to take a breathe for me… But thinking of its history and imagining who the people came and bath here from its built to upon this time on the hot marble was great historical experience for me.
When Cemberlitas Bath first opened, Murat III. reigned over the Ottoman Empire. That was back in 1584, and the hammam remains as vital to the city’s social fabric as it was so many centuries ago. Mimar Sinan, the legendary architect of the Süleymaniye, designed the majestic marble edifice. As is customary, the interior is divided into separate sections for men and women. Upon entering, clothing and personal belongings are stowed in lockers and replaced with the accoutrements of the traditional Turkish bathing ritual: pestemals (raw cotton wraps for modesty), slippers, towels, soap and shampoo. So equipped, visitors proceed to an imposing, marble-lined chamber whose grandeur reflects the almost religious solemnity of the cleansing rite. Under a domed ceiling pierced with honeycombs of light, a heated marble platform invites repose – a literal warm up to the rigorous rubdown. The routine begins with a thorough exfoliation. After covering the body with a sudsy mixture, your masseur or masseuse vigorously scrubs off layers of dead skin with a rough mitt. An energetic top-to-toe massage follows long deep strokes and firm kneading leave the body utterly relaxed.
After a warm water rinse, a shampoo with scalp massage and a restorative glass of mint tea reawaken the psyche in preparation for re-entry into Istanbul’s intricacies.
For more information:
Cemberlitas (Çemberlitaş) Turkish Bath (Hamam) cemberlitashamami.com/
Turkish Bath on wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_bath
View Larger Map
*Text from Taschen's Spa book, pg.172