What is it and how to take a Turkish bath?

The steam bath is a good option to cleanse the body and eliminate tension, which is why today many people decide to have a space at home to enjoy the benefits of the sauna. For this reason, it is worth learning more about Turkish baths.

If you have little experience in this area and do not really know what the sauna is for, we must first point out that the Turkish bath is currently used for recreational and therapeutic purposes, for example, as a strategy to accelerate body weight loss. However, the benefits of a wet sauna for weight loss are null if it is not combined with an exercise routine and a balanced diet. In this sense, it is worth making a parenthesis to mention that we have found very favorable opinions about moringa on the internet.

Reviewing the history of the Turkish sauna, we can find that it is not a new practice, nor is it exclusive to the Turks. Some historians agree that heat was used by nomadic tribes in the Neolithic period as a method to eliminate toxins from the body, therefore, the steam sauna had its origin thousands of years ago. It is believed that people in different parts of the world went to natural hot springs to cleanse their bodies.

A Turkish bath is essentially a public place where people go to relax while they cleanse their bodies with the use of steam. However, the term wet sauna is also used to designate a steam bath that can be taken in private. During the 20th century, archaeologists in Pakistan discovered the ruins of a public bath built around 2,500 BC. C., which would be the antecedent of the Turkish baths. It is considered that it was also a temple and served for spiritual purification.

Later, in 450 a. C. a steam bath was built in Greece that consisted of a circular installation where athletes gathered for their ablutions. Later, around 300 a. C., the Romans also built public baths in order to relax and socialize, since most could not have a sauna at home. According to historians, women and men from different social strata bathed together in these places. 

Steam baths around the world

The tradition of Turkish baths is widespread throughout the world. Although in principle it is about the use of steam for cleaning the body, there are certain peculiarities in each region, which have to do with the evolution of cultures, as well as the social norms and customs in each place.

hammam

This is the Turkish bath itself. It is a version of the Byzantine and Roman baths that were created in Turkey during the 7th century AD They became popular around 600 AD. C. and were included in events considered sacred, such as marriages and childbirth. The true hammams were places where the purification of the body and soul was sought, therefore, they used to be extremely clean facilities.

Today, the hammam is a place for socializing, but it also has therapeutic purposes, so it usually has a steam room with a marble surface, where bathers lie down to receive massages from professionals. However, men have one space and women a different one. In most hammams, upon arrival, people receive a pair of sandals of their size, a glove to exfoliate the skin and a towel. Regarding norms and customs, partial and total nudity is allowed. In Istanbul there is a famous Turkish bath called Cagaloglu Hamami, which was built in 1741 and is still in use today.

banya

The banya is the Russian version of the Turkish bath. It emerged during the 900 AD. C. and has been used by Russians of all social classes. Originally, they were public and private bathhouses where villagers and wealthy people went to bathe once a week, usually on Sundays as part of a spiritual purification activity. According to Slavic mythology, a disrespectful bather would be punished by a spirit called Bannik, who was hiding under the seats.

If you plan to travel to Russia and want to know how to use the sauna, we tell you that one of the practices is to use birch branches to help cleanse the body through whipping, for which it is also considered a sacred ritual that includes self-flagellation. However, many tourists are of the opinion that the blows of the bouquets are not painful, but can be pleasant, they open the pores and help to eliminate tension.

In today’s banyas, men are separated from women and complete nudity is permitted at the user’s discretion. In Moscow there is a place called Sanduny, which is over 200 years old and today is a large spa with swimming pools, a gym, a restaurant and a beauty salon. 

Jimjilbang

Koreans have also long enjoyed the benefits of the Turkish bath. The jimjilbang had its origin more than 1,000 years ago and is still known in South Korea, in fact, today the jimjilbangs are open 24 hours, so they allow you to spend the night. In the most modern places you can find a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, massage tables, as well as exfoliation and detox services. The Dragon Hill Spa is one of the largest in Seoul, as it has 7 floors and includes a golf course and a movie theater.

finnish sauna

This works like the others, placing water on hot stones to increase the temperature of the sauna, however, in the twelfth century steam was not used but smoke, through the use of wood stoves. It served to warm the body and then go out into the frigid climate of that region of the world, which favored blood circulation. In the city of Tampere there is still a sauna called Rajaportin, which was created in 1906 and is one of the tourist attractions of the place.