Experience the Best Turkish Massage in Istanbul
Turkey's Cemberlitas Baths a Firm, Invigorating Experience
The attendant will massage the back of the legs incredibly firmly as though he is trying to make impressions of the bather's calves and knees in the marble.He will do this with his forearms and it might hurt. The bather’s knees could feel squashed but if they do the feeling will soon return.
Firm Massage at the Turkish BathThe attendant will flatten the bather’s feet against the marble and then, once again, stretch the arms above his head and massage the tension out of them and then massage his legs.
Although the attendants are not supposed to do this, some of them do solicit for a tip right after the massage has finished, which can leave a sour taste because the bather has had an incredible experience and was going to give the attendant a tip anyway.
Cooling Down After the Massage
When the massaging is finished, the bather should cool down. The bather should go back through the steam room door and turn right. There are three showers, plus some urinals and four toilets - two squats and two Western ones.
The bather should discard his pestemal at this point. There are three excellent showers and the hot water will feel so cooling. The bather will then be given three new towels by another attendant. He wraps the first around the legs quite tightly, covers the torso with the second, and provides a fetching headdress with the third, so that the bather looks like a very colourful version of Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia.
Tips for the Attendant
Walking in the towels will be quite difficult – they feel like a tight-fitting skirt – so the bather will have to go slowly up the stairs one at a time. In the halvet, the bather is expected to dry themselves and get dressed. Don't forget to leave the wooden sandals behind. Give a tip to the changing room attendant and to the man who bathed you.
If the visitor to Istanbul has never experienced a Turkish Bath before, Cemberlitas is probably the best place to go - the staff are used to tourists, everything is very straightforward to find, and the steam room is not unbearably hot.
Contrast this with Galatasaray, where the steam room is incredibly hot – if the visitor does go there, they should take a large bottle of water to drink because the temperature is really high. There are fewer visitors, the prices are more expensive, and the bathing process isn’t as comprehensive or as well done.
There are also more people offering incidental services such as providing a cup of tea, shoe shining, or neck massages – all of these cost extra.
Cemberlitas Changing Rooms
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