A Typical Turkish Bath: Foam Massage and All!

Since we had been doing a TON of walking in Istanbul, Khala decided that we should get a traditional Turkish bath to relax and also experience another authentic part of the culture. I was actually a little hesitant about getting a massage because I was not really a fan: I had one right before I left the USA and it wasn't my favourite. I didn't really like people touching me, so I wasn't sure how this would work out. But I did really want to experience it, because it was part of the Turkish culture. Turns out, it was wonderful! Thank goodness I did try it!

We didn't go to a public bath house, just because we didn't want to walk anymore! Instead, we stayed in our hotel and went to their wellness and spa center. It was absolutely gorgeous, just like the rest of the hotel actually. Instead of wrapping a sarong around our top and bottom (like a makeshift bikini), we opted to wear our own swimsuits. Khala was led into a room with flowers on the bed and given a clay mask while I sat in the sauna. Apparently, I have no heat toleration (how on Earth did I survive in hot and humid Houston, TX?!) and had to keep leaving the sauna to breathe outside!

The room where Khala got her clay mask

View from outside

The sauna where I couldn't breathe!

But when Khala's mask was finished, we were both led into a completely marble room with three taps. The room was quite beautiful. The marble was all heated and the ceiling was domed. So this is what the sultan wives did for fun!

Where we got our Turkish Bath and Foam Massage!

Where the food is in this picture is where we lay down to be foamed and massaged

So there was no food in our Turkish bath. It would have been ruined because it got so steamy in that room! Basically, the person giving us our Turkish bath would throw water, either hot or cold to regulate our body temperature, on us from a gold bowl filled by the taps (the closest ones in the picture that you can see). Then they would put on a mitt and scrub our entire bodies to get rid of all the dirt and dead skin cells. We would be doused with water again to clean ourselves of all that had been scrubbed off of us (which was kind of disgusting actually...) and then we would lie back down again. The masseuse would then foam us up. They dropped bubbles all over our fronts, then we turned over and got bubbles on our back. Then the massage started. My masseuse worked in so hard I was dying! But afterwards, I actually could not feel any of the knots I had before. That didn't happen on my last massage! I was cleaned from the bubbles and shampoo massaged into my head and washed out. Then I was led to the other side of the room to relax for a bit while Khala got her massage. I literally felt so limp and sleepy, but it felt wonderful.

When Khala was finished, the masseuse led us to a giant couch to relax and brought us apple tea, dried fruit, and water. It was très "Sex and the City"! Now, these types of couches were built into an alcove and had a curtain in front. Here's a picture, because it's difficult to describe. But this is what the sultan's wives would sit in for a lot of the day! There was even a mirror on the ceiling so we could look at ourselves if we wanted.

See, it's that couch INSIDE the wall. It was much bigger than it looked. Khala and I both lay down inside on the cushions and probably three more people could have joined us comfortably. 

So though I normally do not like massages that much, this Turkish bath and foam massage was absolutely amazing. I could definitely do it again. I know my sisters would enjoy it! Needless to say, Khala and I slept extraordinarily well that night! :)

All photos are from the Hotel Sultania's Wellness website page.