Turkish bath

a bath in which the bather, after copious perspiration in a steam room, showers and has a rubdown.

[1635-45]

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Bath originating in the Middle East, combining exposure to warm air, steam immersion, massage, and a cold bath or shower.

The Turkish bath (ḥammām) reflects the fusion of the massage and cosmetic aspects of the Eastern bath tradition and the plumbing and heating techniques of the Romans. Turkish baths were smaller than the Roman thermae and more sparsely lit. The baths at Constantinople were domed, and rooms were richly decorated with marble or mosaics. Used for socializing and relaxation as well as bathing, the ḥammām was popular throughout the Islamic world; some baths are still in use. In the 19th century, the Turkish bath was adapted and exported to Europe and the U.S.

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▪ plumbing

      kind of bath that originated in the Middle East and combines exposure to warm air, then steam or hot-air immersion, massage, and finally a cold-water bath or shower. The Turkish bath typically requires movement from one room or chamber to the next. Separate wash rooms and soaking pools may be included in the bath building, as are dressing and rest rooms. The Turkish bath has been used for weight reduction, cleansing, and relaxation purposes.

      Authorities believe the Turkish bath originally combined some massage and cosmetic aspects of East Indian bathing with Roman plumbing techniques, but it also had distinctive features. A description from 1699 points out an environmental difference: instead of a high-windowed, light-flooded tepidarium (warm room), the Turkish bath had “cupolas sparsely pierced by the glow of coloured bullions, or . . . stalactite cupolas in the smaller rooms. Half-light, quiescence, seclusion from the outside world are preferred.” The Turkish baths at Constantinople (now Istanbul) contained a series of domed rooms, the domes supported on pendentives; each series of rooms had warm, hot, and steam areas.

      Christian crusaders returning from wars in the Middle East brought the Turkish bath concept back to western Europe. Europeans at the time, however, could not easily supply the great quantities of hot water that were required for a Turkish bath, so the bath did not become popular in Europe until much later. It survives today in the United States, western Europe, Turkey, and many other countries and regions. Many baths, including those in Turkey, have special days for men and women. The Turkish bath may be a weekly or monthly practice that is used in addition to the more frequent tub bath or shower.

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