Since households at the time did not have running water, hammams were an essential part of life until the 19th century, with ...

Turkey scrubs up its baths to keep hammam tradition alive For centuries, hammams were central to Ottoman society, and while they mostly fell out of use with the advent of running water, many in Turkey ...

Istanbul's celebrated royal architect Sinan designed the Zeyrek Cinili Hammam and built it over several Byzantine cisterns as a water source. (AFP) - From cleansing to celebration - In ancient Rome, ...

Hammams, once a central part of Ottoman social life, continue to draw visitors to Istanbul, where they blend traditional ...

"We don't want this tradition to die." That is where Istanbul's ancient hammams can serve a bigger purpose, Tali said. "Restoring historical baths in Istanbul and putting them to use may be ...

Pictures by Ozan Kose and Yasin Akgul. Video... Already a Barron's subscriber? Sign In ...