The hamam combines the functionality and the structural elements of its predecessors in Anatolia, the Roman thermae and Byzantine baths, with the Central Asian Turkish tradition of steam bathing, ritual cleansing and respect of water. It is also known that Arabs have built many of their own version of the Greek-Roman baths they encountered following their conquests of Alexandria. However, the Turkish bath has a more improved style and functionality from these structures that emerged as annex buildings of mosques or as re-use of the remaining Roman baths.

 

Tepidarium in Çemberlitas Hamami

The hamams in the Ottoman culture started out as structural elements serving as annexes to mosques, however quickly evolved into institutions and eventually with the works of the Ottoman architect Sinan, into monumental structural complexes, the finest example being the "Çemberlitas Hamami" in Istanbul, built in 1584.

A typical hamam consists of three interconnected basic rooms similar to its Roman ancestors: the sicaklik (or hararet - caldarium) which is the hot room, the warm room (tepidarium) which is the intermediate room and the sogukluk which is the cool room.

The sicaklik usually has a large dome decorated with small glass windows that create a half-light; it also contains a large marble stone at the center that the customers lie on, and niches with fountains in the corners. This room is for soaking up steam and getting scrub massages.

 

 

The warm room is used for washing up with soap and water and the sogukluk is to relax, dress up, have a refreshing drink, sometimes tea, and where available, nap in private cubicles after the massage. A few of the hamams in Istanbul also contain mikvehs, ritual cleansing baths for Jewish women.

 

The Harem Hamam of the former Ottoman Palace, Topkapi

The hamam, like its early precursors, Roman (at least pre-Christian) thermae, is not exclusive to men only - hamam complexes usually contain separate quarters for men and women. Being social centers, in the Ottoman Empire, hamams were quite abundant, and were built in almost every Ottoman city. Integrated in daily life, they were centers of social gatherings, populated on almost every occasion with traditional entertainment (e.g. dancing and food, especially in the women's quarters) and ceremonies, such as before weddings, high-holidays, celebrating newborns, beauty trips etc.

 

 

There existed some special accessories of which some still are being used at modern hamams: such as the pestemal (a special cloth of silk and/or cotton, to cover the body, like pareos), nalin (special wooden clogs that would prevent the wearer from slipping on the wet floor, often decorated with silver or mother-of-pearl), kese (a rough mitt for massage), and sometimes jewel boxes, gilded soap boxes, mirrors, henna bowls, perfume bottles and such.