Turkish Hammam in Istanbul

A hamam (the Turkish spelling; English usually writes hammam) is a steam bath, a scrub and a social ritual in one. Istanbul has been bathing this way since Ottoman times, and several of its historic baths were designed by Mimar Sinan, the architect of Süleymaniye. For a first-time visitor the experience is part relaxation, part mild embarrassment, and nearly everyone leaves saying their skin has never felt like that.

What happens, step by step

1. Changing. You get a small cubicle or locker, a peştemal (a thin checked cotton wrap) and slippers or wooden clogs. Most foreign visitors keep underwear or swimwear on under the wrap.
2. The warm room and the hot room. You walk into the sıcaklık, the domed hot room, and lie on the göbek taşı, the heated marble platform in the middle. Light falls through small glass openings in the dome. You sweat for ten to fifteen minutes to soften the skin.
3. The kese. An attendant (natır for women, tellak for men) scrubs you from head to foot with a kese, a rough woven mitt. Grey rolls of dead skin come off. It is vigorous rather than painful; say "yavaş" (slowly) if it is too much.
4. The köpük. Then the good part. The attendant swings a cotton bag through soapy water and squeezes it over you, burying you in a heap of warm foam, followed by a soap massage and a hair wash.
5. Rinsing. Bowls of warm water, then cooler water, poured over you from a marble basin (kurna).
6. Resting. Back in the entrance hall, wrapped in dry towels, with tea, sherbet or water. Don't rush this.

Historic hamam or hotel spa?

The historic baths in the old city, such as Çemberlitaş (built in 1584) or the restored Kılıç Ali Paşa in Tophane, give you the real architecture: centuries-old domes, worn marble, echoing voices. They are also busy, and the service can feel quick. Hotel spas offer the same scrub and foam in a smaller, newer room, with more privacy and a longer massage, but without the building. For a first time we prefer a historic hamam. For a quiet treatment, a spa.

Neighbourhood hamams still used by locals exist all over the city. They are cheaper and more authentic, but staff rarely speak English and nobody will explain the routine.

Men's and women's sections

Traditional hamams are single-sex. Some, like Çemberlitaş, have separate men's and women's sections (not always equal in size or grandeur); others, like Kılıç Ali Paşa, run separate time slots for women and men. Attendants are always the same sex as the guest. Mixed bathing for couples is rare: at the time of writing Süleymaniye Hamamı is the exception, and many hotel spas offer couples' rooms.

Walk-ins work at the big historic hamams on quiet days, but booking ahead, directly on the hamam's own website or by phone, is safer in high season and for the timed-slot baths. Men and women should check which hours or which section applies to them before choosing a time.

Packages vary, so read what is included:

• Self-service: entry and the hot room only; you wash yourself.
• Traditional: the kese scrub and foam wash by an attendant. This is the one to book.
• With massage: an added oil massage, usually in a separate room.

The peştemal, towels and slippers are normally provided. A kese mitt is often yours to keep, or sold at the desk. Ask whether the service charge is included, since tipping the attendant in cash is expected at many places. Cancellation terms differ between hamams and are listed at booking. Hotels and tour agencies sell hamam visits too, sometimes with transfer, but a direct booking tells you exactly which bath you are going to.

• Don't eat a big meal just before, and drink water before and after. The heat is stronger than it feels at first.
• Skip it if you are pregnant or have heart or blood pressure concerns without checking with a doctor first.
• Keep the peştemal on. Full nudity is not the custom in Turkish baths, even in single-sex sections.
• Bring: spare underwear or swimwear, a hair tie, a comb, and some cash for a tip. Shampoo and soap are provided.
• Leave valuables at the hotel or in the locker. Nothing goes into the hot room.
• Don't shave or wax the day before, since the kese is rough on fresh skin.
• Book it for a tired day. A hamam after a long afternoon at the Grand Bazaar or a day on our 3-day itinerary works better than first thing in the morning.