HAMMAM – a pleasant way to cleanse the body and mind

But when we go back to our roots, we find that even ancient cultures can offer us a unique care and experience today. Meet the hammam.

The origins of the hammam
Although best known in Turkey, the hammam has its origins in Roman traditions. It is no secret that Roman baths were a favourite pastime of the ancient Romans, and they gave rise to countless spa treatments.

This time-honoured tradition, with its unpretentious method of cleansing the body and mind, is a perfect illustration of the adage “what’s old is new again”. The secret of this pleasurable treatment lies in the unique massage, which is accompanied by the rinsing of the body with alternating hot and cold water. Hammam can be translated as a hall in which there is a wide marble platform. This is the cornerstone of the treatment.

Another important point is the very precise exfoliation of the skin using a special kessa glove. This is followed by the characteristic lather treatment. This is created by the masseur using a textile bag. Because of its unexpected experience, which can fully involve all the senses, some aficionados believe that the ritual is so purifying that it can even drive away evil spirits from the body. In fact, according to the literal philosophy, this procedure literally “washes away all the impurities of the world”.

What to expect during a hammam

First, the clothes
The treatment begins with changing into a special cotton towel, known in Turkish as a peştemal. Women usually wear a two-piece or even a one-piece swimsuit for comfort, with the towel wrapped around their waist. If you are taking part in a true Turkish ritual, clogs called takunya are also part of the traditional attire.

Then an unforgettable hammam experience

During the hammam treatment, it is important to warm up your body generously by lying down on a heated marble bed. The room is also characterised by its high humidity and temperature, which helps you to breathe properly and better. Specifically, the humidity is 90% and the room temperature is usually around 50%. The masseur will then cleanse your skin with a special peeling cloth. The exfoliation removes the superficial and dead layers of skin and, together with a relaxing massage, provides a fundamental cleansing of the body and mind, leaving you feeling like a new person.

The masseur will then lather you in a rich lather of special soap and thoroughly massage your entire body. This is followed by aromatherapy and relaxation. During the treatment, the masseur will alternately pour hot and cold water over your body. Other procedures depend on the type of hammam you choose. The difference between the different treatments lies in the choice of oils and additives.

Individual Hammam Treatments

All treatments start the same way and are based on the same tried and tested principle – sitting on a marble bed and a thorough exfoliation. The main differences between the treatments are in the choice of ingredients and oils.

The tried and tested Turkish classic
Soap lather plays an important role in this original massage method. After the well-known procedure (marble bed + peeling), the masseur manually creates a rich cleansing foam using a special hammam jacket. He will cover your entire body with the foam and then give you a pleasant, relaxing massage. Finally, an oriental oil is applied to the skin.

Honey hammam
As the name suggests, this treatment combines the classic scrub with cane sugar, but surprisingly with honey. This is because it can draw out a lot of toxic pollutants from the body and help to cure skin diseases. Similar honey massages were so popular with Cleopatra, for example, who was known to want to stay young forever, and honey, which cleanses the skin perfectly, was her favourite.

Moroccan massage
It can also be called Berber, because the Berbers are the original inhabitants of North Africa. It was their descendants in Morocco and Tunisia who dedicated themselves to the hammam, an ancient treatment for the body, skin and soul. The basic ingredient of this massage is argan oil. It is massaged into the skin using a special massage technique, allowing its healing properties to enter the bloodstream and provide a range of health benefits.

Read about our range of spa treatments.