OCEAN SPA
Somerset, Bermuda
Nestled on a private peninsula in Bermuda's western end, Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa lies on 30 secluded acres of lush coconut palms... Read More »
THE LODGE AT WOODLOCH
Hawley, Pennsylvania
The Lodge at Woodloch, opened in June 2006, is an exclusive 58-room luxury destination spa offering complete spa... Read More »
ELIZABETH ARDEN
RED DOOR SPAS
Locations Nationwide
Red Door Spas combine state-of-the-art facilities with the luxury that made Elizabeth Arden famous. Their philosophy is... Read More »
CAL-A-VIE HEALTH SPA
Vista, California
Cal-a-Vie Health Spa is nestled on 200 acres in a secluded valley 40 miles north of San Diego where the climate... Read More »
SPA GAUCIN AT ST. REGIS MONARCH BEACH
Dana Point, California
The Tuscan-style St. Regis Monarch brings European refinement to southern California. Set on an Oceanside bluff in... Read More »
NewBeauty SpaFinder Supplement
Spas help us slow down and find quiet time to create the space to build beauty on the inside: It's only logical that spa and beauty are interwined. That's why NewBeauty Magazine is thrilled to announce their new alliance with SpaFinder, who, for the past 25 years, has been the authority in the spa world. The SpaFinder supplement that will now live in every issue of NewBeauty is dedicated to the philosophies, products and treatments that serve as a guide to living a more peaceful, stress-free life by taking care of our bodies, minds and spirits.
What is a Hammam?
The hammam, also known as the Turkish hamam or Turkish bath, is the Middle Eastern variant of a steam bath, which can be categorized as a wet relative of the sauna. Although the first hammams originated in Arabia, and bath culture was a central part of Roman life, Turkey popularized the tradition (and is most often associated with it) by making hammams available to people of all statuses.
What is it like?
The hammam ritual is rather simple, but it does involve several steps--all aimed at cleansing and relaxing--which many modern-day hammams still utilize. Typically, the treatment lasted a set period of time, but visitors were free to lounge in the cooling areas for as long as they liked.
1. Relax and Prepare
As you enter the camekan, or entrance room, there are areas for changing and a place to have a cup of tea or a cold drink before or after the bath.
2. Adjust to the Warmth
Before you encounter water, the tellak (staff member) will bring you to a transition area, the iliklik, or intermediate room, where you receive your towels and adjust to the heat.
3. Full-Body Scrub and Soaping
From there you enter the hararet, or hot room, which houses the large marble belly or navel stone. Bathers, arranged on marble slabs around the fountain, alternate basking in the high humidity and being vigorously--and thoroughly--scrubbed by an attendant. Following the scrubbing, there is application of special soap (including shampoo, if requested).
4. Rinse and Massage
From there you enter the hararet, or hot room, which houses the large marble belly or navel stone. Bathers, arranged on marble slabs around the fountain, alternate basking in the high humidity and being vigorously--and thoroughly--scrubbed by an attendant. Following the scrubbing, there is application of special soap (including shampoo, if requested).
