✨ FREE SHIPPING CANADA & US WIDE ON ORDERS OVER $75 ✨

THE TRADITION & ORIGINS OF THE HAMMAM

Hammam meaning “the spreader of warmth”.

 

The Hammam is one of the most ancient wellness rituals in the world.  Around for centuries in Arabia, the ritual was popularized by the Turks. When the Ottomans discovered Roman bath habits and merged these with their own, a whole new exquisitely purifying ritual emerged.

 

Myglow2 Skin Hammam exfoliating gloves

 

Turkish Hammams
The Hammam or Turkish bath is a place of public bathing and a prominent feature in the culture of the Ottoman Empire.  Not only did Hammams play a central role in promoting public health and hygiene, but also served as a meeting place where people could relax, socialize, clear their minds, and purify themselves. The Ottomans inspired by their religion considered bathing to be a purification ritual completed before prayers.  Traditional Turkish baths consist of three interconnecting rooms: a camekan, a sıcaklık, and a soğukluk.   
  
Camekan- an entrance hall that served as a reception and locker room where one would undress and receive a pestemal (Turkish towel) to cover the body and a pair of wooden slippers to prevent slipping on the wet floor. A tellack would then escort the individual to the sıcaklık.  
  
Sıcaklık- this is the room where the magic happens. One is surrounded by thick wet steam to relax the muscles, detoxify the body and open up their pores. The treatment then begins with a massage to stimulate blood flow followed by the pouring of warm water on the body and a rigorous body scrub using the traditional kese mitt to remove dead skin. It is said that while one is exfoliated, they are purified from dirt in both body and soul.  After rinsing off the dead skin, black soap made with eucalyptus oil, olive oil and macerated olives is massaged into the skin. Following the final cleanse and cool water rinse the body feels rejuvenated leaving one with a natural glow.    
  
Sogulkluk- the final room is a recovery room and a tea lounge, where one can relax, re-hydrate and re-energize with a warm cup of tea and traditional Turkish sweets. 

 

 

Ancient Turkish Beauty tools- hammam deep exfoliating mitt

 

Morrocan Hammams

Hammams in Morocco consists of a similar 3 room structure and offer the same bathing ritual as the Turkish Hammam. Traditional Islamic hammams in Morocco have rooms that are lined with taps where running water can be drawn instead of bathing pools. As a result Moroccan hammams are hot and humid, rather than steamy. Traditionally, the heat for the Moroccan hammam was provided by the farnatchi, the man in charge of tending the fire beneath the bathhouse that heats its floors and walls. Moroccan Hammams have an additional step following the scrub and cleanse.  A hydrating Rhassoul masque is applied to the body and hair. Rhassoul is a saponiferous clay found in the Middle Atlas, it is rich in mineral salts and draws toxins to the surface of the skin, tightening pores and regulating the secretion of sebum. The clay is usually mixed with a range of aromatic plants (rose petals, cloves, eucalyptus, lichens and chamomile, for example) and then made into a liquid paste with water for application.  Once it is rinsed off, it is followed by an orange-flower water or lemon juice skin tonic.

 

Moroccan Hammam Exfoliating glove

 

Hammams Today Hammams continue to be a prominent part of social-cultural history across the Middle East and Northern Africa.  While modern day Hammams can be found all around the globe today, the oldest hammams are found in countries such as Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Greece, and Cyprus. 
  

Fun Facts:

  • The ruins of the oldest Islamic hammam in Morocco can be found in Volubilis and dates back to the 8thcentury, when the Arabs arrived.
  • The 1572 Mouassine hammam is the oldest in Marrakech.
  • The oldest Turkish bath built in 1454, Ağa Hamamı,can be found in Istanbul, and is one of the many baths in Turkey frequented by locals and tourists today.  
Our Hammam Experience
My first Turkish Hammam experience was in Istanbul at the AyaSofya Hurrem Sultan Hammam.  The hammam was so wonderfully peaceful and luxurious. From marble stones, breathtaking architecture and design, and amazing hospitality, the experience was nothing short of spiritual. After a two-hour treatment that started in a hot steamy room followed by a deep exfoliation using a traditional kess mitt, and then finally being lathered in bubbly soap, I felt rejuvenated in body and spirit.
  
Bringing the Hammam Experience Home

After experiencing the beautiful and revitalising Hammam cleansing ritual, we had to bring some parts of Turkey and Morocco home with us. We curated a list of our favourite ancient tools and ingredients used by Moroccan and Turkish women for centuries and worked to produce a range of the most effective and highest quality exfoliating, moisturizing and hydrating products that we will be releasing soon.   

Exfoliating gloves originating from Africa and the Greater Middle East have been popularized in many central Asian countries as well. While Turkish bath exfoliating gloves can be picked up from any Turkish market or found on various sites online, they are often made ultra coarse with various textures of polyester viscose or harsh fibres which can be damaging to the skin over time. After trying and testing various exfoliating mitts from across the globe and not being satisfied, we decided to craft our very own natural mitt using the purest silk material that is non abrasive and leaves the skin feeling soft and silky.

Our first release, the Glow Away SKIN Exfoliating Mitt, which is handcrafted from 100% pure silk aims to provide you with a Turkish Hammam experience from the comfort of your homes. Keeping both body and spirit in mind, we aim to create a transformative ritual for our Glow Babes with our range of Turkish and Moroccan Hammam beauty products. The end result is radiant glowing skin and a revitalized mind!

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published