Public bath (hamam) culture dates back to the Seljuks.
With their special architecture which allows them to provide hot and cold water at the same time, hamams had been an important feature of the Ottoman Empire too. Hamam can be briefly and traditionally defined as “a place to clean oneself up, to be purified, and to find recovery”
Indispensable part of life
They have many common architectural features with mosques, especially when looked at the domes. One of the Islam’s five essential pillars is prayer. It is customary before praying for Muslims to perform ablutions, which require cleansing of the face, hands, and feet with water. Often, hammams are located close to mosques and other places for prayer for those who wish to perform deeper cleansing. A Turkish bath starts with relaxation in a room (known as the warm room) that is heated by a continuous flow of hot, dry air, allowing the bather to perspire freely. Bathers may then move to an even hotter room (known as the hot room) before they wash in cold water. After performing a full body wash and receiving a massage, bathers finally retire to the cooling-room for a period of relaxation.
Benefits of spa treatments
The term is derived from the name of the town of Spa, Belgium, whose name is known back to Roman times. A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes sea water) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are especially widespread in Europe and Japan. Day spas are also quite popular, and offer various personal care treatments. Spa provides;
– A massage session is a break from your job, your family, friends… to slow down and destress.
– A massage improves blood circulation, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells.
– Massage stimulates the lymphatic system, which carries away the body’s waste products.
