Peek Inside 5 of the Most Relaxing Turkish Baths Around the World
A Turkish bath, also known as a hammam, is a traditional public bathhouse. A standard in Islamic communities throughout the Middle East and North Africa, from inland Iran to the Atlantic coast of Morocco, the hammam has deep cultural roots. The hammam typically serves as a communal gathering place. Varyingly humid, hot, and cold—these bathhouses offer purifying, therapeutic repose, with or without massage and the latest gossip. Used by the devout for ritual ablutions, a hammam bath may also have close ties with a local mosque. In Turkey, the baths sometimes serve as tourist attractions, as Western Europe fully embraced the concept of the Turkish bath starting in London around the 1860s. Though outside intrigue may have died down in recent years, Islamic baths, both new and old, feature stunning craftsmanship. Here, AD rounds up five such treasures from around the globe.
1/5Casablanca, Morocco
These hammam baths are found beneath Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. Its plaster walls are made using the waterproof “takelakt” technique, which requires both black soap and egg whites in the compound mixture.
2/5Kashan, Iran
Consisting of a dressing hall and a hot bathing hall, the Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse in Kashan, Iran, was built in the 16th century. The structure has been renovated several times over its long history of public use.
3/5Granada, Spain
The Hammam Al Ándalus Arab Baths in Granada, Spain, were first erected around the 12th century. After going through a series of various occupants and renovations, the bathhouse was reopened to the public in the 18th century.
4/5Isfahan, Iran
The Ali Gholi Agha Hammam was built in 1713 by Ali Gholi Agha, a courtier of two separate Persian kings. Situated in Isfahan, Iran, the structure has remained largely untouched, which provides visitors a great glimpse into how these structures were laid out and used in previous centuries.
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5/5Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul’s Cağaloğlu Baths have four cooling rooms and four heating rooms. Built in 1741, it was commissioned by Sultan Mahmut I and remains a gorgeous example of Baroque Ottoman architecture.
