Stepping into serenity through the relaxing world of Turkish bath

ISTANBUL­ — Walking into the Best Western hotel in Istanbul’s Fatih area, I didn’t know what to expect. I had made an afternoon appointment for a traditional Turkish bath. But to call it just a bath would be underselling the experience.

Unlike the Western world, where baths often serve a more utilitarian purpose, here in Turkey, Turkish baths know as hammams are considered essential to the body’s relaxation and purification.

Hammam – translated as bathhouse or heat in Arabic and Hebrew – are a traditional cultural staple of the Anatolia region, dating back to the 15th century. Their popularity has continued into modern times in Turkey with locals and tourists finding time to indulge in this pleasant and relaxing experience.

“It's for everybody, not only tourist, but people also need Turkish hammam,” said Ifran Yildiz, the front office manager at the Best Western Hotel and a certified reflexologist with experience in massage therapy. “When you're’ so tired, it's better to rest, and evening is better to have a massage, then go to the room for rest.”

As an intrepid reporter, who spent the last week traveling all over Istanbul for my story, a little pampering sounded like a great idea.

Keep in mind every hammam is a little different. Turkish baths can differ in their structure and architecture. Some locations separate men and women while other facilities are designed as a place where all genders can gather and socialize. And locations can vary from hotel spas to standalone bath facilities.

I chose the hotel spa route. At the Best Western Hotel, I purchased the Sultan Package which included a Swedish massage, a trip in the sauna and then a foam bath. First, after I took off all my clothes (yes, even down to the socks), I was told to put on a thin cotton towel.

I then followed a woman into a massage room where she began the first part of my Turkish bath escapade. She lathered me in oil and proceeded with a relaxing Swedish massage. So relaxing, in fact, that I could hear parts of my upper body crack as she worked out the tensions and I felt my muscles go limp. I got a facemask that was left to dry as I got the massage and even a little after.

I have to say that, for me, the massage was the most intimate part of the bath. It was a bit overwhelming at first to trust a stranger this way and go along with the unfamiliar process.

After my massage, which included an amazing head massage, we moved to the second part of my Turkish bath experience. I sat in the sauna for 20 minutes, the heat opening the pores of my skin. My skin was also moisturized with the oil.

From the sauna I was led to the real star of the entire experience, the actual Turkish bath. This was no bathtub. The hammam took place in a room made entirely of marble. Marble, used in the interior structures for most, if not all Turkish baths, is resistant to high temperatures and the moisture within it can reach high humidity levels.

But I wasn’t thinking about that as I was asked to lay down on a marble slab. My attendant began the foam massage, during which special soaps and scrubs are used to soften, cleanse and remove the dead skin. This was no soft scrub down. Instead, my attendant worked hard to smooth my skin until it was as soft as velvet.

After my hammam experience, I felt like I was in a stupor. Remembering Yildiz’s recommendation to get some rest after the Turkish bath, I headed back to my hotel room. I was told to drink lots of water and rest as my body was reaping the benefits of the muscle relaxation, stress relief, the increased blood circulation and above all my skin cleanse. Also, with the change in temperatures during the experience, some people experience blood pressure flactuations. So, rest is a must.

I was so wiped out that I ended up falling asleep and sleeping well into the evening. Would I do it again? Maybe. It was an experience that was so different from anything I've ever done before.

Still everyone should try it. After all, when in Turkey, do what the Turks do. And a Turkish bath is high up on the list.