Etymologically, the word Hammam ("bath" in Arabic) means "which expels heat". Currently and in the dialect, this word stands for "bathroom".

In the 18th century, Istanbul had more than 150 hammams, many of which were built by the architect Sinan.

In addition to this, you need to know more about it.

What is a Turkish bath?

A traditional Turkish bath is a more humid variant of the sauna, divided into several parts, depending on the heat of the room: frigidarium, tepidarium and caldarium. The interior of the bathrooms is made of marble because it is a material that retains heat very well.

In most Istanbul hammams, admission includes an exfoliating scrub and various massages. Be careful, Turkish massages are quite vigorous and can be reminiscent of Thai massage.

In addition to this, you need to know more about it.

The most popular Turkish baths

In Istanbul, there are hundreds of hamams. The vast majority are traditional Turkish baths, although more Western-style spas exist as well.

Since Istanbul was the heart of ancient Constantinople, we highly recommend that you try a traditional bath. Among the endless options offered by the capital, we recommend that of Aga Hamami , located very close to Taksim Square .

We do not recommend some very famous baths (Çemberlitas, Suleymaniye, Galatasaray, Cagaloglu ...) because their condition has deteriorated in recent years.