Baths in Istanbul

The bath concept and the spas of Istanbul are not totally diverse. Luxury spas, such as Gaia Spa of Grand Hyatt Hotel or Sanda Spa of Hillside club, are of course, naturally much more inclusive with not just a menu of treatments and massages, but also a sauna and a steamroom. The way in which spas may resemble baths are when they also offer Turkish Hammam and scrub as part of their treatments. On the other hand, baths only offer these treatments with a ritual and in a historically significant atmosphere.

As such baths of Istanbul are more than just places to get clean. Baths such as Cemberlitas, Hurrem Sultan and Galatasaray all have historical significance. They have a story upon which they have been built. Sometimes their construction has a story of its own.

History aside, there are also rituals of bathing in a bath. One can enter and bathe themselves, or they can purchase an elaborate bathing package, in which they are shown from one quarter (room) to the other, getting a special scrub or massage in each.

An even more secretive and interesting part of Turkish baths is the Bachelorette parties before a wedding. The bride and her female friends and family gather at a Turkish bath and they eat, dance and bathe together.

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