Visiting Turkey - Suggestions for holidays, trains, itineraries, day-trips, and sightseeing from someone who has lived and traveled extensively in Turkey
| Flights to Istanbul International flights to Istanbul fly into Ataturk International Airport, which is loc... Turkey Passport and Visa Requirement Turkey Visa and Passport Requirements for U.S. Citizens: Passport with six months' va... | W Hotel Istanbul The W Hotel, Istanbul Address: Suleyman Seba Cad No: 22, Akaretler, Besiktas, Istan... Best Shopping in Istanbul Istanbul is notable for its grand markets, colorful bazaars and increasingly trendy bo... |
For a Sultan or His Consort
By SUSANNE FOWLER
HIGH-END hotels are proliferating in Istanbul, and with them come ever more upscale spa services in the guise of traditional hammams, a welcome addition for anyone who has ever felt trepidation about entering a Turkish bath.
After all, hammams are places of steamy intrigue, full of shadowy movement and unreliable light, where an assembly line of large, damp attendants wearing only bikini underwear vigorously uses well-worn kese cloths to scrub dead skin off strangers. It is an intriguing scene to be sure, but one with a certain “eeew” factor.
Even so, a Turkish bath is an unforgettable experience and that’s why tourists in the Old City line up to pay anywhere from the equivalents of $35 to $65 to pour themselves into a musty beauty called Cagaloglu (Yerebatan Caddesi 34, Cagaloglu; 90-212-522-2424; www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr), or to squeeze into the smaller but charming Cemberlitas (Vezirhan Caddesi 8, Cemberlitas; 90-212-522-7974; www.cemberlitashamami.com.tr), just steps from the Grand Bazaar.
While relatively inexpensive, their popularity brings other costs. In these tourist hammams, service can feel rushed, the massage perfunctory and the facility so crowded that it can be difficult to carve out enough space to lie down on the central navel stone. But it’s worth asking: At several times the cost, are luxury hammams worth the price?
Continued on nytimes.com
