Hammam, Turkish Baths and Roman Baths: History and Modern Practice

What a hammam is

A hammam is a bathhouse tradition also called the Turkish bath; the sources we read use both names. A 2022 study of Gaziantep, Turkey, describes Ottoman hammams as having three main spaces: a cold hall for dressing and resting, a warm hall to accustom the body to heat or cold, and a hot hall where bathing is done [1]. In the women's hammam of that study, an attendant called a kayme scrubs the bathers [1]. Hammams are called single or double depending on whether the men's and women's sections are separate or combined [1].

Roman roots and later history

The same source says Roman-period baths in Anatolia were designed for sports, competitions and meetings as well as bathing [1]. Its account is that Byzantine baths were first renovated and reused in Anatolia, the Seljuks developed their own bath types, and new hammams were built that followed Islamic rules of cleanliness, with people washing by pouring water [1]. The most advanced Turkish bath architecture appears after the acceptance of Islam in the 10th century, and many more bathhouses were built under the Ottoman Empire than before [1]. So the hammam is both a continuation of earlier bath buildings and a distinct tradition shaped by religious and social customs.

In England, the Geological Society of London says the largest of Bath's three springs, the King's Spring, rises inside the Roman Baths Museum, and that around 1.3 million litres of water flow from the springs daily at around 40 degrees Celsius [2]. See hot springs and thermal baths. We did not read other sources on Roman bathing, so we say no more about it.

Traditional explanations

A review of Unani medicine describes the Turkish bath as a regimen used for prevention and cure of several ailments [3]. It explains this in terms of the humours, saying the bath reduces the viscosity of the khilt (humour) [3]. That is a traditional framework, not a biomedical mechanism, and the review does not test it. Label: traditional use only.

What research shows

Studies are few and small, and they test specific programs.

Infection and hygiene

A 2025 review notes that communal baths can contribute to some skin infections, including athlete's foot, warts, molluscum contagiosum and Pseudomonas folliculitis [6]. It reports limited data on how many infections are acquired from Turkish baths, and concludes they are uncommon given frequent disinfection and non-stagnant water [6]. That conclusion rests on that assumption rather than on a count. For hot tub folliculitis see hot tub rash. If you have a skin infection or open wound, skip communal baths until a clinician says otherwise.

Modern practice

Modern "hammam" programs can look different from a neighborhood bathhouse. The trial above paired a hammam-style setting with Swedish massage [4]. Staff training and regulation are not described in the sources we read. Ask what training attendants have, how often rooms are cleaned, and whether you can stop at any time; see spa and facility safety checks. We list no venues.

Cultural respect

The Gaziantep study ties hammams to Islamic rules of cleanliness [1]. If you visit a traditional bathhouse, follow the local customs on dress, gender separation and conduct. Customs vary, and the sources we read do not give a universal rule.

Related pages

Saunas and steam rooms, Ayurvedic steam therapies and hydrotherapy for menstrual cramps and pelvic pain.