Turkish baths or Hamam are public bath houses and have existed since medieval times, not only used as a place to get clean, but also to relax and socialise. During the Ottoman times this tradition reached its pinnacle, being the social focus for women. Many of these women used it as a rare chance to get away from the home to see their friends, and check out potential daughters-in-law. The baths were segregated, with there being a separate section for men - even today, many still have this separation - or in the case where a town had only one hamam, men and women would enter at different times of the day or week. It is only in the tourist beach resorts that it common to have mixed bathing and even to be massaged by a member of the opposite gender - something that would never happen in a traditional hamam.
The most popular historical hamams for visitors to Istanbul are the Cemberlitas (near Sultanahmet), Cagaoglu and the Galatasaray (near Taksim Square).
On entering the hamam, you will usually find a dedicated locker for you to leave your clothes in and a towel called a pestemel for you to wrap yourself in, wooden slippers are also normally provided. In the main bath house there are taps along the walls where you fill a bowl and wash by tipping water over yourself from the bowl.
If you are looking for an extra special experience, for an extra charge you will be able to take your turn to lie on the marble slab or gobek tasi in the centre of the room where you will be scrubbed with a coarse cloth or kese and then covered in soap suds and massaged. An experience not to be missed.
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