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of the truly unmissable experiences of a trip to Turkey is
a visit to the hamam. Like the harem, this Roman and
Byzantine tradition was adopted and then perfected by the
Selcuk Turks, for whom the public bath took on an
important role. It was not merely a place where believers
could fulfill the Islamic precept of cleanliness. It was a
place in which to mingle, socialize and gossip. In
Kusadasi, there are 2 major hamam ( Turkish Bath ).
Women
would proceed from their harem to the hamam with great
ceremony, accompanied by servants heavily-laden with
delicacies to tide the ladies over the hours they would
spend lounging in the steam. The young women used this
opportunity to show off their ornately embroidered towels
and ivory inlaid slippers, not to mention their youthful
figures, while older women would spot potential wives for
their sons.
Men would
discuss the latest court scandal or talk business and
politics. Contrary to popular ideas, hamams have always
been either permanently designated for one of the sexes,
or have a separate schedule for men and women.
Traditionally, a whole range of paraphernalia is
associated with the hamam. The pestamal, a colourful,
checked cloth which is wrapped around the waist by men is
still in use. Takunyalar, or wooden clogs, often inlaid or
carved, have generally been replaced by plastic
flip-flops.
Soap,
shampoo and other toiletries were carried in hand crafted
copper or even gold plated tarak kutusu, literally comb
boxes, and a copper tas was used to pour water over the
bather. While some of these are no longer used, they are
still widely available to buy, and are guaranteed to add
to the pleasure of the hamam experience.
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