Cleaning the palate for a taste of Turkey

China Daily | Updated: 2007-02-01 07:16

ISTANBUL: Missing a chance to visit a traditional Turkish bath while in Istanbul would be just as regrettable as going to the Bosporus city without visiting the Hagia Sophia.

There are hundreds of baths, known as hamams, in Istanbul alone, all strictly separated by gender. The most relaxing hamams are the ancient ones, such as the Cemberlitas Bath in the old city. The bath is a temple to bathing as well as one of the most significant examples of 16th-century Ottoman architecture.

Bathers must wash their feet before a Turkish bath, then head inside in these wooden slip-ons. DPA

In the changing room guests are handed chequered towels, which they use to wrap themselves in before entering the main room in the hamam. There's an immediate change in the atmosphere as visitors enter the warm, moist air. A large warm marble slab called a goebektashi sits in the middle of the round room.

Trouser-clad women cater to female visitors, preparing to deliver unforgettable massages. First they scrub all the grime from their bodies with a raw flannel made of silk or goat hair, in accordance with the rules of their practice.

Afterwards, the female attendants lather the guests with a strong-smelling soap, creating so much foam that the guests can lose sight of the tip of their own noses. The massage comes next followed by a resting period. Guests are left feeling tired and hungry, but with skin that feels as soft as a baby's.

The hamam cafe is the place to go after the relaxing procedure for tea or ayran, an alcohol-free salty yogurt drink.

DPA

(China Daily 02/01/2007 page19)