Mixed Turkish Baths and Hammam - Part 2

Mixed Turkish Baths and Hammam

In which I tell you about visiting a Turkish bath near Ephesus and my 1st time in a Hammam in Marrakech.

After such a good time at the Turkish baths in Istanbul (see my Blog: Roman Baths/Hamman/Hammams - Part 1), I was eager to repeat the experience the following time I was in Turkey. As it was, I had joined a group of 10-12 people and we were touring part of eastern Turkey before boarding a gullet for the Turquoise coast.
We were on the 3rd-4th day of our trip and we were hot. 40+ C every day and even though we were travelling in an air-con minibus, we were hot and sticky. Our guide was a lovely young girl and when we reached a small town near Ephesus, we asked to visit a Turkish bath. She asked around and as luck would have it there was a local place and that afternoon it was the mixed evening.

Mixed Turkish baths 

Usually Turkish baths (and Hammam too) have separate rooms for men and women. I think this particular one was catering for the tourists and had mixed sessions.
So there we were into this small provincial Turkish bath – seriously the main room was much, much smaller than the one for women only I had been in Istanbul - a bit disappointing for me, especially as there were lots more people congregated in it and it was a fairly modern building and no antique features.
Anyway, here we were lots of us British, Germans, Dutch… all congregated in the ‘hot room’ and we were like sardines on the central marble platform, trying to relax and sweat it out whilst making an effort not to bite the foot of the person in front of us, millimetres from your mouth and avoiding to get in contact with the people either side of us. And … the masseurs were men!!
Old – they seemed very old – wizened old men. I must say they were good in their art and I received a vigorous strong massage. They also asked permission to wash you under your bathing top… however, it wasn’t the best or more relaxing experience! I put it down to experience and ever since I have only taken women only Turkish baths and manage to relax plenty.

Going to the barber…to get a massage 

Before we step into another continent’s bath story (or should I say Hammam) let me tell you what happened the afternoon after our experience at the mixed Turkish baths … One of our party decided he wanted a wet shave as he had tried it once before whilst in Turkey and “there was nothing like it”. In our free time, three of us went looking for a barber. Now – I know I said this town was equipped for tourists; obviously the vicinity of Ephesus made it a good stopping point – however hardly anyone spoke English! So, there we were, trying to find a barber, not a Turkish dictionary between us, and lots of miming and finally, in a little back square, we find one!

The shop was rather old fashioned – it had one of those spinning red and white poles outside (not working) and inside had very old fashioned push up barber chairs [like the one you see in old American movies, where the bad boss is having a shave when someone attempts to murder him].
We entered the shop and – like in the saloons in western films – all conversation stopped. Our friend mimed a shave and sat in a chair he was pointed to and proceeded to enjoy his wet shave, which also included a rather nice massage of arms and shoulders, all the while us two waited sitting in the shop.

I love massages and, while waiting for our friend to have his shave and massage, I started hankering for a massage too. After our friend had finished and paid, I asked him if he thought it was ok for me to pay the same and only have the massage…seconds later we explained to the barber and his assistants what I wanted and, among baffled locals, I sat on the chair just vacated by our fellow traveller.

The chair was so high I could touch the floor when elevated and my feet dangled in the air. You have to imagine the stupor of the locals: a woman sitting in a barber’s chair…! And so, among general amusement, I got a shoulder massage by the barber’s assistant and then two young lads (barber’s sons?) each got hold of my arms and started massaging – rather vigorously and at times painfully – my arms. It was fantastic! It did not last more than 5-10 minutes max and it really un-knotted all the muscles in my shoulders… when finished I stepped down and paid. They did not want me to do so… therefore I gave the money to the young masseurs, who were delighted.
We stepped out of the barber shop and a few more curious faces were lingering around to see this extravagant European woman who had been sitting in the barber’s chair to get a massage! :-) What a laugh… even thinking about it now brought a smile to my face and brought me back to that summer evening. I must confess the following day I had bruises on my arms where the strong little fingers had so vigorously massaged my arms! Price you pay for being unconventional...

On Roman Baths in ancient Rome and how they were used…

The Romans were quite clever as they thought that if they provided good standards of living, people would be happy and ever more so, the people living in the countries they had conquered. Therefore building roads, aqueducts and baths were seen as some of the primary improvements the Roman implemented in newly conquered countries and territories. In days of no sanitation, water, roads or drains the Roman provided huge improvements to the standard of everyday life. Hard to believe nowadays from our civilised lives and cultures…

Roman Road and drains (Tunisia)

As homes did not have running water, very often not even the more luxurious houses belonging to the rich, being able to wash regularly, being able to clean off the dust and grime after having travelled or walked on dusty roads (there was no tarmac!) must have been a real luxury!
Therefore, at least in Imperial Rome, all rich and poor were allowed to enter the Roman Baths and get clean for free. In the case of the Caracalla Baths – the best preserved, visible and perhaps most accessible in Italy – when they first opened access was totally free, later - when given to a ‘management company’ to maintain and regulate their use - an entrance fee was introduced, however it was merely nominal and affordable by even the poorest person.

View of Caracalla Baths from the gardens (Rome)

Going back to who and when one could access the baths in ancient Rome - when the bath were first opened - access to the baths was at different times/days for men and women. The baths were opened from noon to sunset and the Caracalla Baths – had approx. 6000-8000 visitors a day and up to 1600 an hour! This gives us an idea of how popular the Baths were.

Antonine Baths in Carthage (Tunisia)

Within a short time, women started protesting that they were being discriminated against (sounds familiar?) and eventually they were allowed in the Baths at the same time as the men. Historical notes record of amorous trysts and so on…

What were the Roman Baths for? 

 

They were primarily a place to get clean. However, as the buildings reached the scale of the Caracalla’s or the Diocletian’s Baths, they also provided a place to meet, relax, play and watch games, read – there were libraries in the baths complex – and where plots and conspiracies and lover’s trysts developed. The Roman Baths were the place of major games and sports (i.e. wrestling) and they were the equivalent of say Wembley Stadium in London. People would congregate to watch their favourite athletes compete.

How to take the Baths 

Let’s go back to the primary function of the Roman Baths: washing and getting clean. Contrary to what happens nowadays, water was not used to get washed, well not at first. Romans entered the Baths, disrobed and with just a cloth around their waist went in the steam and hot rooms (Calidarium and Laconicum) to sweat it out. There they would get oiled with fragrant unguents by the slaves working in the Baths – or their own personal slaves, if they were wealthy – when ready, the slaves would scrape off the sweat and dirt with the ‘strigil’ which is a fairly scary implement - from my point of view - especially if in the hands of someone you don’t trust 100% (although it is similar to when men go to have a wet shave and allow a total stranger to have a sharp razor to their throat!).

Strigil

 
Anyway, I am digressing… once the bathers had been cleaned up, they would step out of the hot rooms and move to the Frigidarium, the word indicates this was a much cooler room where you would let your body cool down (it was also a place where you would meet fellow bathers) before stepping into the Natatio, or swimming pool of cold water to finish the cooling process. This kind of process reminds me of the Finnish practice of going from the sauna to the freezing waters in northern temperatures…it seems old habits get retained here and there, so there must be some benefits…

In the Caracalla Baths we know there were also rooms, probably on the upper floor, where visitors could have a massage or sunbathe…

Roman historical talks

If this got you intrigued and would like to know more (and are based in Hertfordshire or neighbouring counties) you can book a talk on this or similar subjects (Domus Aurea (Golden House of Nero), Roman Aqueducts…).
I regularly speak to Archaeological & History Societies, WI, etc...
Look forward to hearing from you.