We discussed off and on for a couple of days if we wanted to experience a Turkish bath, and decided it would be a good way to end our stay in Istanbul.
Initially we planned to visit the Cemberlitas Hamami, close to the Grand Bizarre. However when we stopped at a shop to buy keses (raw silk mittens), the owner told us about a hamami in the general area of our hotel that offered a more authentic experience. Also: much cheaper than Cemberlitas.
We ate a light lunch (having been forewarned not to eat a heavy meal prior to the bath), then armed with our keses and (terrible) map, we were off to the Kadirga Hamami. And we walk and walk and can’t find it. We are very lost. Numerous people give us directions and we still can’t find it. Finally a kind man takes pity on us and walks us directly to it.
Two men sitting outside the bath get most upset when I started toward the entrance, and pantomimed that the women’s entrance is down the way but I look and look and don’t see it. Eventually I am allowed to follow Richard into the men’s entrance and led up a different staircase to the women’s bath.
This place is unreal – large enclosed 2-story courtyard surrounded by changing rooms on both floors, fountain, marble everywhere. And unlike baths catering to tourists, the attendant on the women’s side does not speak English. I wanted an authentic experience – right?? But with hand signals, pantomime and leading me by the hand, we get along just fine. Unfortunately, I never understood her name despite asking a number of times.
The attendant leads me to a changing room to undress and hands me a pestemal, which is sort of like a heavy cotton sheet. I undress and wrap the pestemal around me, grab my kese and indicate I’m ready. She closes and locks the door, hands me the key, then points to slippers to put on my feet.
I’m led back to the sicaklik – hot and wet caldarium, and it is so hot and humid it takes my breath away. Two other ladies are in the room and the attendant says something to them, and I don’t know what she said but the ladies grab their keses and leave. I wish they had stayed, and felt bad that they had to leave because I showed up.
The floors, walls and ceiling are all marble as are the basins lining the walls. The basins have two taps – cold and hot water, and no drains. The water just fills up the basin then spills over to the floor. The entire room is built on a slight slope and all the water runs down and collects into a gutter to drain.
The attendant leads me to a basin and turns on the water full force – it is so hot it is barely tolerable, then uses a plastic bucket and dips water out of the basin and pours it over me. She hands me the bucket and leaves. So I sit by myself and pour water over and over. I have no idea how long I sit there. It seems like a long time but I’m really not sure. Attendant eventually comes back and leads me over to a large raised marble bench/table about knee high, and indicates I should lay down. She then picks up a bucket and a mesh cloth, drips bubbles all over me, takes my kese and begins scrubbing. And scrubs and scrubs. I can’t believe I have any skin left! And I can’t believe how much dead skin comes off! The bubbles are slick and the bench is slick and I keep sliding down, and she just grabs my arm and pulls me back up. She also gives me a brief massage, which felt great. Last, she leads me back to the basin, gets a bottle of shampoo and washes my hair. Now this is pretty exciting to me, because we have 2 small unlabeled bottles in our hotel bathroom. One liquid is blue, the other clear. We have no idea which liquid is shampoo so I had been switching back and forth each day in the hope that at least every other day I am washing my hair with shampoo. After the shampoo she rinses my hair. Then hands the bucket to me and indicates I am to continue pouring water over myself.
Once again, I’m alone and I sit there for a really long time because I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. I sort of zone out, not really napping but definitely very relaxed. Finally I wrap up in the pistemal and go back to the courtyard. The attendant gives me a dry pistemal and a towel for my hair, and indicates that I should sit and gives me some water. I’m glad to have it because I’m hot and thirsty. I sit some more and eventually go to my little changing room and put on my street clothes.
I pay 50 TL for the bath and add a 20 TL tip, express my heartfelt thanks and leave. It was so worth it (appx. $35 USD) – my skin has never been so smooth and soft and I feel all melt-y inside – and it was an amazing experience. I can’t recommend it enough. I estimate I was in the bath for 2 hours.
When I walk up the stairs and exit, I realize I’m on a completely different street from where I entered, because I exited from the women’s entrance. Nothing looks familiar. I walk down to the corner and look around and see the entrance we originally entered, then walk over to the men’s entrance. I’m thinking I’ll text Richard and let him know I’m outside, and maybe go across the street to the little cafe and have tea while waiting. But right about then a man sitting on a little stool looks at me and says something to me in Turkish, then in English says “oh, there you are”. And I’m all “who are you?” He says “stay here”. So I do. I mean, where would I go? I know my husband is somewhere nearby. In just a few minutes, Richard comes out of the bath. Apparently he had been finished for quite some time and was worried about me, kept asking where his wife was. Awww, he’s so sweet 🙂
Maybe Richard will blog his experience because the men’s side had a sauna and those who know him will not be surprised that he visited with quite a few of the men who were there.
I found the website for the bath: http://kadirgahamami.com/ There is an English video that explains the process and gives viewers a look inside.
The whole experience was great, and I will certainly have another bath next time I’m in Turkey. My only wish is that the local women will be allowed to stay and I’ll have my own opportunity to make new friends.
