Turkish Ottoman Bath
The Turkish bath is considered one of the most famous traditions in the Ottoman culture, and the most visited and exciting by the foreign tourists. The bath is an Ottoman tradition, it can be seen as the older version of our modern day Sauna.
The Turkish baths which spread in many places in the Middle East from long time ago, helps in refreshing the body, and restoring skin’s youth and health, as researchers have found that this method is one of the best to maintain a healthier cleaner body.
Turkish bath visitation is on the top of the list of things to do here in Turkey, where now there are many baths all over different regions of Turkey. Istanbul city has its fair share regarding these baths, as there are many Turkish baths in the historical parts of the city, and they are very attracting to international tourists, since they have this mixture of the orient and the Ottoman culture.
Ottoman people put extra effort into building these baths, as they hold a special place in the development of their culture, though out the past centuries. Historically speaking, the idea of Turkish baths were created by the immigrants to Anatolia, the idea of it combines both cleansing and having good times. Some time ago not every house had a bath in it, like they do today, but in every neighbor there was a Turkish bath, as they were not only for cleaning but also for socializing and meeting people.
The number of these baths are decreasing each day, they were indispensable to hundreds of Ottoman people, as they play a big role in their culture. Many baths were built after the Istanbul opening in the 17th century. In Istanbul alone their number estimate around 168 baths, and they are very famous would wide, and have a very big historical importance.
The Turkish bath is usually divided into three sections:
- The hot section (steam room): where visitors enjoy massaging and steam.
- The warm section: Here you can bath normal in water and soap.
- The cold section: The place to relax after the bath, and enjoying the famous Turkish
Recently, the idea of the bath has developed, and some modern adjustments were made, like a sauna room filled with scented candles, where you can drink tea and listen to soft music.
Turkish people still maintain this culture, and go to these baths in different times. Here in Istanbul and in Bursa city as well you can find the most famous ones, as once they were the capitals for the Ottoman Empire in different periods. Now there are many Turkish baths all over the Arab World, especially in Egypt, Syria, and northern Africa, and those countries still preserve whats left of the Ottoman culture.