When you go on
holiday in Turkey, one of the things that you should not miss out on is the opportunity to enjoy a
traditional Turkish bath. If you go to Antalya, and once you arrive you can easily find a place offering
Turkish baths.
Here is what to expect when you arrive.
Find Your Nearest Hammam
When you arrive in Antalya ask around to find the nearest good hamman - the local name for a
Turkish bath house. These hammams have been a part of daily life in Turkey for centuries, so you will be partaking in a very traditional experience. They are places where local people go to relax and chill out, enjoy a massage and, of course, to gossip.
Arrival and Preparation
Take your swimming costume with you and get changed when you arrive. The hammams are often decorated in marble tiles, and it will have a heated stone in the middle, called a
gobek tasi. When you arrive in the room, the first thing to do is simply to sit back and relax, and let the hot steam do its work to prepare you for your massage.
The Massages
If you want, you can just go along to relax in the steamy surroundings; however, for the real experience you should enjoy a massage or two while you are there. You will normally receive a wash and a soapy bubble massage on the gobek tasi, which can be quite vigorous. If you want, you can then have this followed up with an
oil massage, before cooling down at the end and taking a shower if you wish.
Tips for Visiting a Hammam
In Antalya which might be near to a local hamman, or you may have to travel a bit further to one.
You can just go for a self-service experience if you want, where you will take your own soap and towel. This is cheaper, but for the best experience choose to enjoy the massages - you are on holiday after all.
Hammams tend to not be mixed-sex, although this rule may be relaxed in particularly tourist-focused hammams.
Enjoy a Traditional Turkish Experience
If you stay in a
hotel in Antalya, when you arrive at your hotel, make sure a
Turkish bath is one of the first things that you do.