Hamam’ing It Up

If you haven’t visited a hamam on a visit to Turkey then you have missed out on this centuries old tradition which the people of this colourful country still enjoy today. The truly traditional dome roofed hamams are fewer in number these days, simply because they date from times before most of the population had running water at home, but there is still a good deal of choice.

Whether you go for a rustic hamam in a dingy building hidden down an alleyway where you are laid out on a marble floor, a more sumptuous spa where you have the luxury of a raised marble plinth, or any of the other types of hamam in between, you really need to experience this time honoured ceremony.  It’s invigorating, energising and relaxing all at the same time.

Just outside the ancient Agora in Izmir we spotted the unmistakable domes of a traditional hamam building and made it our first one of this trip.  Entering a large private changing room, Phil, in preparation, dons the traditional checked towel and more boringly for me a bikini. We are ushered into the sauna to ease the dirt of the city from our skin before being led into the hamam. Laid out on the marble, the “peeling” began, being scrubbed head to toe with a rough glove, almost hurts but not quite (not an experience you would like if you had sunburn) and just when you think you can’t take any more, the ceremony moves on. A supersoft pillowcase-like pouch is dipped into water, a bar of olive soap added then shaken and the contents emptied on top of you. This is the most amazing feeling, the bubbles a foot high melting around you as if enveloping you in a cloud before luxuriating in a massage with the bubbles and a soft cloth. We left that hamam tingling from top to toe and extremely relaxed and all for the small sum of about £5 each. Bargain!

In Selcuk we visited a second hamam, which seemed to have been recently refurbished and felt a little more touristy, its staff a little pushy on selling other treatments and we let ourselves get talked into a body mud pack and an oil massage.  The sauna followed by the hamam peeling and foam massage was lovely again, albeit a bit rushed but the mud pack felt a bit pointless in the humidity and steam as it didn’t get chance to dry out on the body and just dripped away leaving you lying in a muddy puddle.  Not the best or most authentic experience here, very expensive for what it was at £30 each, wouldn’t go there again!

After settling in Side, we saw no sign of the traditional looking hamam with the dome so instead chose the “Sultan” hamam which looked more rustic than the others in town some of which resembled those in spa hotels.   We opted for the basic deal plus a 30 minute rose oil massage. This happened to be the best hamam experience so far. No sauna to start, the peeling the most savage yet, almost hurting but oh so stimulating.  The olive foam massage is sublime. Then chill out time and chai followed by a mud pack painted on our faces with a brush. The oil massage followed, our male masseurs’ hands firm and probing but never overbearing. 

That massage at “Sultan” was up there with our best anywhere, not just in Turkey. It was such a wonderful feeling. Skin tingling, faces glowing we emerged into the chill of the evening air and the orange glow of sunset, happy and content. At just £18 each for this 90 minutes of indulgence we immediately said we would definitely be visiting here again!

In fact we did exactly that, and enjoyed a second treat at “Sultan”. Our plan then was to visit an old traditional hamam in Antalya which is said to be still heated by wood burning, which would have been terrific. However, our sudden change of plan, forced by COVID restrictions to fly back to England early not only dropped Antalya from our itinerary but also deprived us of one last hamam indulgence. Oh well, there’ll be a next time.