Lonely Planet İstanbul Guide

2 Hamams & Spas Succumbing to a soapy scrub in a steamy hamam is one of İstanbul’s quintessential experiences. Not everyone feels comfortable with baring all (or most) of their body in public, though. If you include yourself in this group, a number of the city’s spas offer private hamam treatments. Hamams The concept of the steam bath was passed from the Romans to the Byzantines and then on to the Turks, who named it the hamam. They’ve even exported the concept throughout the world, hence the term ‘Turkish bath’. Until recent decades, many homes in İstanbul didn’t have bathroom facilities and, due to Islam’s emphasis on personal cleanliness, the community relied on the hundreds of hamams throughout the city, often as part of the külliye (mosque complex) of a mosque. Now that most people have bathrooms in İstanbul, hamams are nowhere near as popular, but some carry on due to their roles as local meeting places. Others have become successful tourist attractions. The city’s hamams vary enormously. Some are dank dives where you may come out dirtier than you went in (remember, Turks call cockroaches ‘hamam insects’); others are plain and clean, servicing a predominantly local clientele. A small number have built a reputation as gay meeting places (we’re talking truly steamy here), and an increasing number are geared exclusively towards tourists. A number of hotels in the city have hamams, too. These include Sirkeci Mansion, Arcadia Blue Hotel, Hayriye Hanım Konağı ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; HHK Hotel; % 0212-513 0026; www.hhkhotel.com; Hayriye Hanım Sokak 19, Süleymaniye; s/d €148/158; naWs ; m Haliç) , Pera Palace Hotel, Four Seasons Istanbul at the Bosphorus, Sumahan on the Water ( % 0216-422

8000; www.sumahan.com; Kuleli Caddesi 43, Çengelköy; r €200-330, ste €300-620; naiW ; g 15, 15F & 15P from Üsküdar) and Vault Karaköy.