Traditions & everyday life
Türk hamamı
The public bath house, a tradition of steam, scrubbing and conversation.
The Turkish name
Türk hamamı
Recording on its way.
The story
A hamam is a public bath with a warm marble room at its heart. Bathers lie on the heated central stone, the göbek taşı, before an attendant scrubs them with a coarse mitt and washes them with clouds of soap foam.
Ottoman architects such as Mimar Sinan built hamams as part of mosque complexes, and many historic ones in İstanbul, Bursa and Edirne are still in use. A hamam visit is also a social occasion, once the centre of neighbourhood life.
At a glance
- Central stone
- Göbek taşı
- Famous examples
- Cağaloğlu, Çemberlitaş and Kılıç Ali Paşa hamams, İstanbul