Turkey is an eastern country that combines traditions that have come to us from time immemorial, one of which is a visit to the hamam.
The origin of the hamam is hidden from us in the mists of time. It was in Byzantium, in the city of Pergamum, which today is located on the territory of Turkey, that the famous Roman physician Galen, an enthusiast and a big fan of thermal baths, practiced. The Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula, closely communicating with the Byzantines, adopted some traditions from them. Even before the advent of Islam, frequent washing was quite traditional for the peoples of the East. This is a natural necessity in hot climates. However, the Arabs only doused themselves with cold water, while acquaintance with the luxurious traditions of Roman bathing, which occurred during the Arab conquest of the Levant, brought them the first of the wonders of the bath - hot steam. The Arabs learned to take a steam bath, but they did not stop pouring cold water over them. The fact is that immersion in a bath, pool or other container with water seemed unnatural to the Arabs: according to their religious beliefs, this is "bathing in their own mud." And only with the emergence of Islam began the development of such a distinctive phenomenon as the oriental bath. The Prophet Muhammad experienced the effect of Roman baths and highly appreciated them. He also pointed out that baths contribute to increased fertility. According to Islam, this goal is sacred for every believer. Therefore, the approval of the prophet opened a broad road for the hamam to the Islamic world.
A visit to the hamam will give you a pleasant pastime, your body will be scrubbed, lathered with air foam, if you wish, after washing, you will be offered a massage.
The hamam procedure consists of five steps: warming up the body, vigorous massage, peeling - rubbing off dead skin particles with a hard glove, soaping and pouring water, relaxation. The main characters of the Turkish bath - the telak and the barber - helped the visitor to go through these five steps. Telak is a usher and doorman, masseur, bouncer, consultant and bartender at the same time. The profession of a telak in the old days was one of the most respected, therefore telaks were exempt from all taxes. A barber in a hamam is a doctor, a pharmacist, and a bath attendant. He shaves clients, cuts their hair, bleeds, and, like a body, washes clients, gives them a massage, removes body hair, and scrapes the soles of their feet. The last procedure was very important. It was believed that the removal of calluses and coarse skin on the soles, firstly, allows evil spirits to leave the human body and go into the ground, and secondly, relieves migraines and fatigue.
