Hamam - what it is, benefits and harms, arrangement of premises and how to properly visit a Turkish bath. Turkish bath or hammam - a new steam format

Not very strong humid heat, a great opportunity to wash, heal, relax... You have been told a lot about the benefits of hammam, and you are already packing your bath suitcase. Stop, stop, stop. Let's look at the advantages of a Turkish bath and who will benefit from such a vacation. But first, let’s clarify who should not go to the hammam, so as not to harm their health.

  • Persons with a number of skin diseases that can worsen in a damp room (fungal infections, eczema, a number of other diseases); Before going to the hammam, consult your doctor to see if it is specifically indicated for you.
  • For those who suffer from cancer, heat can stimulate tumor growth; even if you underwent all types of treatment several years ago, it is still better to abstain and not take risks.
  • Suffering from hypertension of the second or third degree, that is, with pressure that often rises above 160 mmHg. Although the steam in the hammam is not hot, and no one will force you to go to the hottest room, remember: heated air and humidity, combined with some physical activity taken in the hammam, can cause an increase in pressure.
  • Remember that the hammam is quite a serious load on the heart and even the kidneys (due to the large amount of fluid lost there). You can go to a Turkish bath, but at the first sign of discomfort you should go to a room with a lower temperature, and from there to the rest room and locker room. In addition, have a couple of pills with you for your illness - God willing, you won’t need it!
  • Psychiatrists say that a number of mental disorders may worsen under the influence of steam and high temperatures. They do not specify what disorders exactly. So if you are receiving treatment from a soul healer, even for ordinary stress, call your doctor and ask for his permission to visit the hammam. Most likely, you will be given the go-ahead, and you will go wash, knowing that it will not harm you.
  • Hamam supporters claim that visiting this bathhouse helps asthmatics. Let us doubt the universality of this statement: some types of asthma absolutely require the most dry air possible, and an exacerbation of the disease may occur in the hammam.

You can try, but take a can of antispasmodic with you.
We could not find any other contraindications to visiting the hammam. But if you take the procedures correctly, there can be a lot of benefits.

Let's figure out why hammam is useful?

  • Helps stabilize weight (a person loses up to one and a half kilograms in one visit to the bathhouse).
  • Cleanses and heals the skin, cleanses the sebaceous glands (which is very good for teenagers - there will be no acne), stabilizes blood pressure.
  • Hamam has great benefits for the musculoskeletal system. Salt deposits, rheumatism, muscle strains, arthritis and many other diseases will leave you alone for a long time after two or three visits to the hammam.
  • Hammam helps cure colds, including bronchitis. Prolonged heating increases the body's immunity, allowing it to more successfully resist infections.
  • In the humid hot air of the hammam, germs and bacteria die, so the likelihood of infecting another visitor is almost zero. And if you also order a massage, indicating that it should help cope with a cold, then you will return home healthy or at least significantly healthier.

Evaluate the psychological aspects of the hammam. Hasty washing in the shower is a purely hygienic procedure. Unhurried procedures in the hammam give you the opportunity to think about yourself, relax, relieve fatigue, and drive away stress. How to use the hammam correctly so that it brings maximum benefits?

  • First, just sit or lie down so that the pores of the body open and sweat appears. This takes approximately fifteen to twenty minutes.
  • We clean off all dead, keratinized particles that clog the sweat glands from the body. To do this, use either a special brush or a hard washcloth - without soap! Remember how you rolled pellets on your skin after washing in a Russian bath as a child? This is the same thing, but in an oriental way, he proposes to make a hammam.
  • Soaping, leisurely and thorough. In hammams they do not use any soap, but only those made from purified vegetable oils - olive or peach. This makes your skin smoother and more well-groomed. And the hair is washed and rinsed with herbs, which makes the hair healthier and shiny.
  • After the soap is washed off, it is worth ordering a full body massage. He is quite tough and unusual. But trust an experienced hammam attendant (or, if women wash, a bath attendant), the first sensations will be replaced by a state of lightness throughout the body, restored youth and flexibility.
  • But now, after all the procedures, you can go to a room with a lower air temperature, wet your body with a bath sheet, and apply a nourishing or moisturizing cream to your skin.
  • After which you can just sit, cool down slowly, drink green or herbal tea - with nuts, honey, Turkish delight. And only when you feel that you have cooled down, get dressed and go outside.

Actually, this is what the hammam is built on - a gradual transition from more moderate temperatures to higher ones, and then a gradual cooling. I hope no one doubts that it is useful? Everyone who can, join us, let's go to the hammam!


    Invisible

    I didn’t even know that the Turkish hammam has so many positive effects. My family and I go on vacation to Turkey every year (the most affordable vacation for us) and from there we fell in love with the hammam. And at other times, about once a month we visit the hammam in our city. Now visiting a Turkish bath will become much more enjoyable when you know how much benefit the organization receives :)

    Vikulik-kukulik

    And in truth, there are a lot of positive effects on the body from a Turkish bath. I visit spas and the Russian bathhouse quite often, and now I will try to visit the hammam as regularly as possible. Quite an interesting article, motivating - I would say so. If you can give the body even more benefits, why not use it?

    Bruce Almighty

    I had chronic bronchitis. I once read that a Turkish bath can help with bronchitis. I addressed this issue to the hospital - where they told me it was all nonsense and prescribed a whole list of medications...
    My family and I went on vacation to Turkey and took a trip for 21 days. Upon arrival at the hotel, on the first day they started asking at the reception what services the hotel had, entertainment, etc. in the list voiced by the girl at the reception - there was a Turkish bath, or as it is also called a hammam - and then I remembered my idea to try a hammam to treat my chronic bronchitis... As a result, out of 21 days of rest, I was in the hammam 18 times. I myself felt that I felt many times better than before... upon arrival I was examined at the clinic, and most importantly, they told me that “everything is fine” - I asked, and bronchitis - in response I heard “what kind of bronchitis” - I said like which one? - chronic bronchitis - the doctor smiled and said - you’re kidding, you don’t have any bronchitis, especially chronic... I was very happy... After which I visit the hammam at least 1-2 times a month for health prevention and pleasure.

    Looney

    I myself have bronchitis, they recommended a Turkish bath, I just couldn’t make up my mind, or rather, my work schedule is hectic... But now thinking of finding a place for a Turkish bath at least once a week, it’s still better than sleeping a few hours longer. And if there is a result, I will make it a rule and increase the number of visits.

Hamam is essentially an oriental public steam bath. Its ancestor is the terma - an ancient Roman bathhouse.

Hamams were especially popular in the Ottoman Empire, and today they can be found in many countries in the Middle East.

Europeans were introduced to the hamam culture in Turkey, which is why it is also known as the “Turkish bath” throughout the world.

Hammam is not an easy place to wash. This is a whole ritual bathing and an occasion for social interaction between bathers.

In some regions of the Middle East, important events are still celebrated in the hammam!

The experience of visiting a Turkish bath is completely unique, and you will be very lucky to visit a country where an authentic public hammam remains.

In various sources you will definitely come across two spellings of the word “hammam” - with one and with two “m” (hammam). It originally comes from the Arabic "ham" (heat) and when you visit Turkey you will find the word "hamam" spelled hamam.

It was no coincidence that the variant with a double “m” appeared in our country. After all, for our compatriots, “hamam” is the word “boor” in the dative case.

Therefore, to avoid discrepancies, many sources write the name of the Turkish bath as “hammam”, and both options are acceptable.

Traditional arrangement of bathing places

As a rule, hamams are gender-based, but they can be visited by people of all social statuses and classes. Men and women are present in the hammam at different times or in different rooms.

When you enter the public Turkish bath, Hamam, you first find yourself in a changing room with wooden benches around the perimeter of the room. There are also hooks where you can hang your clothes.

At the entrance you can buy soap and exfoliating mittens. You can also hire a bathhouse attendant to perform your bathing ritual (unless you are too shy).

The steam rooms are rooms with a domed ceiling, heated floors and marble loungers. They heat up to a comfortable temperature so as not to burn your body, but to steam it before massage and peeling. There are taps built into the walls from which you can fill buckets with hot water for washing.

How does the bathing ritual take place?

Once inside the Turkish hammam, you first warm up in a warm dressing room with a temperature of 35–45 degrees.

Then go to the steam room, the temperature in which reaches 55–60 degrees. There you lie down on marble loungers and completely steam your body. The main condition for a successful visit to the hammam is to sweat well!

After this, it’s time for beauty treatments and massages, for which Turkish baths are so famous.

Peeling is traditionally carried out with a special rough glove; it exfoliates the skin in the same way as the inhabitants of the Ottoman Empire did long before our days. The hammam worker will treat every cell of your body, and you will definitely feel reborn!

They say that peeling in a Turkish bath can be a little painful, but then you get used to it and even enjoy the sensations. After the procedure, you may feel a slight tingling sensation for several hours.

Turkish massage is performed on a heated marble slab after relaxing and steaming the body. It should be hot and wet. The relaxing effect of Turkish massage is incomparable to any other type!

They leave the hammam after visiting three pools in turn, starting with one filled with warm water and ending with cold one. After this, bathers find themselves in a cool room. It is necessary to neutralize your body temperature before going outside.

The last one is the rest room. There you can have a pleasant time, sipping delicious drinks while sitting on a soft, cozy sofa.

At all stages of the bathing process, there are always attendants on duty who provide visitors with towels and other necessary supplies along with massage.

Invaluable health benefits

The hammam bath is a place that you can safely use for the benefit of your health.

Hot water, steam and high temperature create high humidity. Thus, all your organs activate their work! They begin to expend a lot of energy, and this change is beneficial for the human body.

The body and skin are cleansed, toxins are eliminated, blood circulation increases, and the immune system is stimulated. Peeling with a rough mitten accelerates cell renewal, removing dead cells and maintaining the freshness and beauty of the skin.

Doctors have discovered the positive effects of sweating on health. Its importance is comparable to breathing!

A person sweats about 1.5 liters over 15 minutes in a Turkish bath. In this sense, sweating greatly helps the functioning of the kidneys. Toxins are removed, which make up 10% of the excreted liquid. This also opens the pores, which is why anti-cellulite procedures are often carried out in the hammam.

In addition, visiting a Turkish bath has a beneficial effect on the treatment of arthritis and many other diseases. The heartbeat and blood circulation accelerate, thereby cleansing the body.

There are two types of Turkish baths based on the type of water used. In the first case, hammams work with artificially heated water, and in the second, natural hot water is used. It contains sulfur and salt, and its healing properties are used in the treatment of rheumatic, skin diseases and nervous disorders.

Ban on healing bathing

Despite the obvious health benefits, there are contraindications for visiting the hammam. So, you should not visit a Turkish bath if you have:

  • cardiac dysfunction;
  • oncological diseases;
  • recent heart attack or stroke;
  • phlebeurysm;
  • thyroid diseases;
  • liver diseases;
  • peptic ulcer;
  • tuberculosis;
  • active stage of infectious disease;
  • active stage of skin disease;
  • pregnancy.

Before your first visit to the hammam, it is useful to know some of the features that await you during bathing procedures.

  • Hamams are open from 6 a.m. until about midnight.
  • The massage therapist and other workers will be of the same gender as you.
  • Standard soap is used in the Turkish bath. If you have sensitive skin or allergies to certain products, you can bring your own.
  • If you order a washing procedure with the help of a bathhouse attendant, then you wash the intimate parts of the body yourself.
  • Women should be in the hammam without makeup.
  • There is no way not to leave a tip to the Turkish bath worker. Make sure you have cash with you. Typically, tips are 10–20% of the total amount.

To avoid losing your tan, visit the hammam at the beginning of your trip.

The Turkish bath has three sections. The first is a lobby with a fountain, changing rooms and a ticket office are located here. At the cash desk you need to pay for the desired procedures. You can choose a regular wash or a massage wash. At the ticket office you will be given a special bath towel with Velcro and traditional wooden slippers. The changing rooms are a cross between a den and a locker, where you can leave your belongings in a locked drawer.

After putting on flip-flops and wrapping a towel around your hips, you need to go to the next room. It contains toilets and showers. In the next, main section, in fact, all the main action takes place.

Hararet is warm rather than hot. The temperature cannot be compared with that which usually reigns in Russian baths. There is a lot of soft, thick steam, and light penetrates through special holes in the dome. There are marble benches everywhere on which visitors lie. Massage therapists work in special niches. Hot and cold water flows from numerous taps into special sinks. Most often, in the back of the hall there is a small pool, which serves for decorative purposes, since the Turks consider standing water unclean and do not bathe in it. In the middle of the room there is a special elevation called the “belly stone.” There is a firebox underneath, and the stone itself distributes heat throughout the room.

The process itself

First you need to lie down on a heated marble lounger, laying a towel or sheet on it to sweat thoroughly. The low temperature in the hammam allows even those who cannot tolerate high temperatures to visit it. However, heated marble and high humidity warm the body no worse than a Finnish sauna with its soaring temperature. After about half an hour of lying on the marble bench, your body becomes relaxed and ready for the massage.

Now you can go to the massage therapist, who is located nearby at a special bench or in a special niche. Traditional Turkish massage is highly intense, so if you are not used to it, it may seem quite painful. However, there are a lot of benefits from it. At the end of the main massage session, the bath attendant stands on the visitor’s body and massages with his feet. After this procedure, give a little rest and relaxation.

Now the actual washing begins. The bathhouse attendant scrubs visitors with a special horsehair mitten, which removes dead layers of skin. Then the bathhouse attendant dilutes a special soap and literally envelops the visitor in soap foam and flakes, massaging a little along the way. The visitor is then washed in a marble sink, doused with warm water and then very, very cold.

A visit to the hammam takes on average from one and a half to three hours, leaving behind an incredible feeling of cleanliness. In the lobby, after all procedures, the visitor is offered soft drinks and a huge fluffy towel. If a visit to the hammam has deprived you of strength, you can lie down for a while on the lounger in the booth -

So, in order to heal your body, and not harm it, it is recommended to learn more about hamam and how to steam in it. Visiting Turkish baths in Islamic countries is considered mandatory. Hammam is not only a building for performing health procedures, but also a special culture with some traditions.

The most popular type of hammam is the classic one - a sauna, where there are 5 rooms connected to each other, and they are made in the form of niches. Each room has its own temperature, which has a variety of effects.

Now about how to go to the hammam correctly.

Rules for visiting the hamam

It differs from other baths. For this reason, you should read the rules before visiting. For the Turkish people, the hammam is considered not only a place for health procedures, but also a cultural center where you can relax and unwind.

The hammam is divided into sections for men and women.

An important rule is that before visiting and while in the hammam you should not drink:

  • alcoholic drinks;
  • chilled drinks.

In a standard hammam there are 3 rooms, which have different temperatures and have different purposes:

  1. Jamekan. Cold room, which has a lobby with a cash register, changing rooms and a fountain. There you can change clothes, drink tea, and chat.
  2. Sogukluk. A warm room with a temperature of 30 to 35°C, which has showers and a toilet.
  3. Hararet. The warmest room, the temperature in which is from 50 to 60°C. In the middle is the “belly stone”. The “stone of the belly” is considered to be the furnace of the hammam, the marble couches on which massage is performed. There is also a kurna, which is the name given to a large bowl or pool. Here you can take a steam bath and take wellness treatments.

How to take a steam bath in a Turkish bath

So, how to steam in a hammam? First you need to warm up in a warm room. The temperature provided in this room will be enough for the body to warm up well and be ready for further procedures. You need to steam properly - on a marble lounger - until sweat begins to appear.

Next, you need a massage therapist to give you a good massage on heated marble, which will help restore flexibility to your joints and youth to your body. The massage should be performed using rough mittens, which help improve blood circulation. Next, peeling is done. A special brush removes dead and keratinized particles from the body.

After this, you can enjoy a relaxing soaping with a special soap made from natural vegetable oils. In most cases, olive oil or peach oil is used.

Now you need to take a shower or plunge into a chilled pool in order to close the pores after the peeling.

Now you can go to the steam rooms. The temperature in them is usually 70-100°C. After the steam room, the following procedure is performed: foam is lathered all over the body using a rough washcloth, then you need to douse yourself with cool water and plunge into the pool.

Then you should apply a nourishing cream to the skin. Now you can cool down and relax while drinking Turkish milk tea.

Now we know how to visit a Turkish bath.

The effects of hamam on the body

The main positive effects after visiting the hammam are as follows:

  • toxins are removed, the body is completely cleansed of toxins;
  • the skin is perfectly cleansed, various inflammatory processes are eliminated;
  • irritation, fatigue, depression are relieved, and you can also notice an improved general emotional state of a person;
  • the respiratory system is completely cleansed, the body is freed from inflammation in the nasopharynx and larynx, you can get rid of bronchitis;
  • the nervous system relaxes, migraines and insomnia disappear, headaches stop;
  • prevention of diseases of the musculoskeletal system is carried out;
  • blood circulation and metabolism improves;
  • has a beneficial effect on muscles, joints, and treats injuries;
  • the functioning of the stomach and lungs improves;
  • the functioning of the sebaceous glands on the scalp is normalized;

People often ask the question, how often can you take a steam bath in a hammam? You can visit the Turkish bath as often as your health allows.

Usually it is enough for a person to visit the hammam once a week on a day off.

This will be enough to improve your body’s health, preserve muscle flexibility, and clean skin.

It is not advisable to eat food before taking a steam bath in the hammam. Several hours should pass after your last meal.

The towel must be laid on the benches. The peculiarity of the hammam is that you need to steam in a lying position. Legs should be higher than head level. It is undesirable to make sudden movements, otherwise you can damage heated muscles.

Now it’s clear how to properly take a steam bath in a Turkish bath. Listen to our advice and you can improve your body health. Follow the rules of visiting, and after the first procedure you will be able to feel all the benefits of a Turkish bath. We wish you good health!

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Turkish hammam is a traditional oriental bath designed to restore your body and psychological state. How to steam in a hammam correctly, what are the results? Read the answer to this question in this article.

Are you striving to free yourself from the burden of thoughts and everyday worries, but your body is languishing from fatigue? The Turkish bath surprises with its peaceful atmosphere, therefore it guarantees complete and gradual relaxation from everyday problems. This is a great opportunity to relax after a hard day, as well as overcome stress. But how to steam properly to get pleasure and positive emotions?

Currently, hammam is very popular, although quite recently it was considered exotic. Compared to Russian baths, this one has a low temperature and high humidity. It is this parameter that makes hammam accessible to most consumers.

Nowadays, a classic visit to a Turkish bath is considered a whole range of procedures that are aimed at restoration, cleansing, as well as moral and physical relaxation. The manipulations are accompanied by an exciting and enjoyable tea ceremony.

A set of main procedures that are carried out in the hammam

A Turkish bath involves performing such important and relaxing procedures, which are a well-chosen set of manipulations:

First you need to warm up, which should be soft but deep. This procedure takes place in a special room designed for undressing. Often the air in this room does not even reach 35 degrees. But this is considered quite sufficient to warm up properly and then prepare for subsequent procedures. The room is equipped with low benches. You should be in the locker room without clothes, but with a towel.

The next procedure is a massage in a duet with soft and delicate peeling. As a rule, this procedure is performed by a massage therapist. Vigorous massage is performed using rough mittens. Such manipulations increase blood circulation. Unique peeling is carried out using natural effective scrubs. They delicately clean the surface and completely remove dirt.

After this, a wrap is carried out using salt, as well as natural clay and natural oils. Next, you immerse yourself in cold water. This is necessary for the pores to close.

Next, it is recommended to go to the steam room. In this case, the air temperature does not exceed 100 degrees. But after the steam room it is important to undergo the procedure of ablution and washing. The specialist soaps you and then cleans you with a rough washcloth, pours cool water over you, and then you plunge into the water.

After you have completed all the necessary procedures, at the final stage you need to use a special relaxation area - here you can drink pleasant drinks: juice, herbal tea or coffee. Here you can discuss the latest news.

After you have experienced the healing effects of the procedure, you will feel that your well-being has improved significantly. Hammam is considered very effective. And this is achieved through a beneficial effect on the body.

How to visit the hammam?

If you are planning to visit the hammam, you need to remember that the room is divided into women's and men's areas. The room is made of 3 compartments. Here they not only relax, but also discuss the latest news.

After you have been in the dressing room, you then need to go to another room - there are toilets and showers here. This room has a unique temperature regime. This is necessary in order to move to another paired room. If the procedures in the bathhouse are accepted, then you should move to the next room, which is called the belly stone, which is a unique elevation. As a rule, it is made from marble. The firebox maintains a suitable temperature.

The steam room is equipped with a large number of benches. Anyone can steam here, and the temperature is maintained up to 60 degrees. That’s why even someone who has never taken a steam bath will feel comfortable here.

But here, as elsewhere, there are guy rules. Before performing cosmetic or therapeutic procedures, you need to sweat properly. It is recommended to lay a sheet on the marble shelving. Due to the fact that the sunbeds are systematically heated, it will not take much time to steam properly, and the pores will begin to open. Such manipulations will take a little time, after which you perform a massage.

The benefits of hamam

Hammam is considered an ideal way to relax both the body and the entire nervous system. After you carry out all the procedures, your vitality will significantly improve, and your mood will significantly improve.

Beneficial effects on humans:

  • There is a cleansing of harmful substances, toxins, and impurities
  • The skin is cleansed in the shortest possible time, blocking the development of inflammatory processes
  • There is a fight against depression, the emotional background improves significantly
  • The respiratory system is cleansed, you get the opportunity to get rid of inflammation in both the larynx and nasopharynx, and overcome bronchitis
  • The nervous system relaxes, and you get a chance to get rid of migraines, headaches, insomnia
  • This is an excellent prevention of musculoskeletal diseases
  • Increases blood circulation and metabolic processes
  • There is a beneficial effect on muscles and joints
  • The gastrointestinal tract begins to actively cleanse itself, as do the lungs
  • The activity of the sebaceous glands returns to normal

Beneficial effects affect the body's vital systems

In other words, hammam is considered an excellent immunostimulating remedy for humans.

The duration of visiting the bathhouse varies up to 2 hours. Due to the fact that the temperature here is not very high, you definitely won’t get overheated. But you don’t need to leave right away, so you need to drink hot tea first.


Possible contraindications

Even taking into account all the positive effects of hammam, it has some contraindications that must be taken into account when visiting the bathhouse.

That is why it is necessary to consult your doctor in advance about this.

What are the contraindications:

  • Inflammations occurring in internal organs
  • Diseases related to the heart, as well as heart attacks, heart attacks
  • Benign tumors, oncology
  • Kidney related diseases
  • Diseases of the hearing aid, visual
  • Breathing diseases
  • Infectious diseases
  • Psychological disorders
  • Varicose veins
  • Thyroid diseases
  • Carrying a child

Even taking into account the fact that the hammam is considered incredibly popular in the country of the East, it is the first establishment where tourists seek to get acquainted with the captivating culture of the East. Of course, some aspects may have sunk into oblivion, but many elements have become significantly more modern. Now the hamams sell everything that is necessary to carry out the appropriate manipulations. But some things are provided completely free of charge. But many people prefer to bring their own equipment with them, which represents heirlooms.

Hammam is a unique place where you can relax not only physically, but also mentally, gaining strength before the new working week.