The Turkish bath is a deeply aesthetic way of keeping clean.

Historically it was at the center of Turkish culture and at Sumahan we have tried to capture the spirit and architecture of this ritual.  It depends as much on the quality of light seeping through the domed ceiling, the echo of running water, the application of warmth and cool, the smooth feel of marble, as  it does on soap.

Sumahan’s own private hamam polishes the ritual to a level of refinement hard to find elsewhere. Upon entering the Sumahan Wellness  you are greeted by a marble fountain, fresh fruit, walnuts and dried apricots.

First you wrap your body in a soft pestemal and adorn your feet with wooden takunya. Your next step is into the hamam itself where you are enveloped by the heat of the hararet under a traditional dome that bathes the Marmara marble floor in warm light.

A raised marble platform, göbek tasi, centers the room where you can choose to wash yourself from one of the carved kurnas basins with an ornate copper tas. However, the ultimate indulgence is to enlist the services of a trained attendant.

She will suds and exfoliate your whole body with kese, a traditional rough cloth mitt.  Following this deep-scrubbing and thorough washing, you will be treated to a professional foam massage, the kind that loosens your muscles as the hot waters continue running and steam rising.  Now you are ready for sogukluk, the cooling-off section where you can lounge on a large divan listening to the soothing sound of the marble fountain while you sip your cool water with fresh mint leaves and enjoy healthy bites and refreshed by lavender cologne.  Never was taking a bath so warm, so luxurious, so relaxing or so much fun.