What to Wear in a Turkish Bath
Everyone wonders and few like to ask: what do you actually wear in a hamam? Swimwear — and here is the rest.
Quick answer
Keep swimwear on for the entire visit — trunks, a swimsuit or a bikini — with the peştemal the hamam gives you on top. A towel and slippers are provided too. Travel there in easy clothes, and pack fresh underwear for the ride home.
Swimwear from start to finish
It stays on in the sauna, in the steam room, through the kese, the foam and the oil massage. Plain, dark swimwear copes best with soap and scrubbing.
Would you rather be looked after by someone of your own gender? Tick the box in the booking form and the hamam will confirm whether it can.
About the peştemal
The peştemal is the hamam's own towel: a thin, flat-woven cotton wrap you wear over your swimwear as you move from room to room. It is handed to you along with a towel and slippers, so none of those needs packing.
Getting there and back
- Loose, easy clothes that come off and go back on without fuss.
- Fresh underwear for afterwards — your swimwear will be soaked.
- Jewellery and valuables stay at the hotel.
Hamam manners in brief
- Swimwear stays on from start to finish, with the peştemal over it.
- By tradition, men and women bathe in separate sections, and some hamams still keep to that.
- If an attendant of your own gender matters to you, say so in the booking form; the hamam confirms whether it can.
- Tell the staff about any medical condition before you start, and about allergies before the oil massage.
- If the scrub feels too strong, ask for a lighter touch.
- Tipping is up to you: it is not part of the price.