What's not to love about a good 'ol Turkish Bath?! So traditional, so masculine, so relaxing. Sweat your anxiety away. It's like a slice of luxury only way more affordable and authentic.
Hamam means bath house and hamami, small (perhaps less decorous) bath house. In Istanbul the lot of Baths are across the bridge in Sultanahmet, also known as Old Istanbul. The majority of them date back many, many decades---sometimes centuries--- and segregate men and women. In other words, feminists keep your tight asses in NYC and Canada.
Unlike Greek and Western baths, Muslim mores forbid nudity so one maintains his nether regions covered, including, sometimes, even when receiving a soap massage.
And, man, are those massages vigorous! Admissions ranged from about 20 to 35 liras.
A popular tourist hammam is the Çemberlitas Hamami, located right off the tram stop of the same name. It's a bit pricey but probably worth it. I gather it is a safe bet for those that prefer not to stray far from the tourist must-see's.
The Historical Sifa Bath is a another nice hamami with one masseur on shift. It is behind the Blue Mosque and dates from 1777. Unlike some Baths which charge an additional fee for massage, here 15 euros includes everything, making it a sweet deal. I visited it twice.
(Sokak No. 24, Sultanahmet. 0212.638.3849)
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