The Authentic Turkish Hamam Guide: What to Expect and How it Works
- Martin
- Apr 2
- 3 min read
One of the most popular, relaxing, and traditional Turkish experiences you can have while visiting Istanbul or the rest of Turkey is a visit to a hamam - a Turkish bath.
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It can be intimidating to stand in the middle of a hamam without knowing what to expect or how to behave - so I will take a closer look at that in this post.
Before you read on:
Varies by location: The steps below can vary from hamam to hamam and depend on where in Turkey you are. This description is based on the typical hamam experience.
Hotel vs. Authentic: A hamam in a hotel often feels more like a "day spa" than a traditional hamam and will likely differ from this guide.
Gender separation: Most local hamams have separate sections for women and men. Some have specific time slots reserved for each gender. In the women’s section, the staff is exclusively female, and in the men’s section, only male staff are present.
The Full Package: This post describes a "Full package," which includes the hamam (steam), scrub, foam massage, and oil massage.
No obligation: In an authentic hamam, you are not obligated to buy anything more than the entrance fee (Hamama giriş) - additional services can be added as you wish.
I am often asked for recommendations - here is a small selection of hamams, all with good reviews. (affiliate link opens in a new window).
Welcome to…
When you arrive at the hamam, you will be greeted by the staff, who will likely try to sell you various massages etc. This is completely normal - just ensure the price is transparent and listed in Turkish Lira (TL). If you are lucky, the staff will also speak English.
You will be shown to a changing room, a cubicle, or a locker where you will be given a peştamal (a thin towel to wrap around your waist after removing your clothes) and a pair of bath slippers.
Step 1: The Steam Room
After changing and wrapping the peştamal around your waist, you enter the steam room, also known as sıcaklık. This is a hot room with high humidity where you can relax and prepare your body for the treatments you have ordered. You can sit or lie on the heated marble stones and let the steam clean your pores. It is recommended to stay in the steam room for 10-15 minutes, or longer if it feels comfortable.
Some hamams have a separate traditional steam room, while others only have the main hamam room itself.
Step 2: Body Scrub
After the steam, a masseur will come and give you a thorough body scrub. This is an intensive exfoliation of your skin using a coarse glove known as a kese. Expect this part of the treatment to be quite vigorous, but it is also very refreshing and gets the blood pumping.
In many hamams, the foam massage follows immediately after the body scrub.
Step 3: Massage & Soap Wash (Foam)
After the scrub, you can enjoy a massage. The masseur will use some form of oil and - to be honest - in "tourist hamams," this is often a somewhat superficial massage, whereas in local hamams, it is a more firm and direct massage without any nonsense.
Most hamams give you a soap wash/massage after the oil massage, but a few perform this directly after the scrub.
My tip: Ask for the foam massage (köpük masaj) after the oil massage; it washes off most of the excess oil from your body.
Finishing up
When it is all over, you can relax and enjoy the atmosphere of the hamam. Settle down with a Gazoz (a type of lemon-lime soda) in a cooling room and let your body and mind absorb the treatment. It is important to hydrate and give yourself time to wind down.
For men, the hamam masseur is called a tellak, while for women, it is a natir.
NOTE If there are swimming pools, it is not a traditional Turkish bath, but a Roman bath.
Video from SkyTV
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