Traditional Turkish hammam
In this region we’re mostly familiar with the Moroccan hammam and so our first question is what, exactly, is the difference between a Moroccan hammam and a Turkish one? Well for one thing, they use different products. The Moroccan hammam black soap (known in Turkey as ‘the Arabic soap’) is well known. Whereas in the Turkish hammam, olive soap rules supreme. Then there is a difference in the process: in Morocco they steam you twice. In any case, a real live Turkish hammam has opened shop at the awe-inspiring Anantara Spa at the Eastern Mangroves. They offer five types of hammam here: the Turkish traditional hammam (a 40-minute scrub and foam massage); the Turkish coffee peeling hammam (a scrub, foam massage and coffee peel); the one-hour Royal Ottoman (a scrub, foam massage and honey mask); the crystal peel (instead of the scrub and then foam massage); and finally the pre-wedding treatment, where you and all your girl friends can come down to have a hen party spa day the traditional Turkish way. Since no one in our close vicinity was getting hitched anytime soon, we signed up for the traditional.
The treatment step by step
First off, things are kind of Turkish here but the magic of the Emirates couldn’t resist making its mark. That well-known UAE bling says ‘hello’ the moment you step into the rather grand hammam chamber with its central pedestal, shaped like a mangrove leaf. Hanging from the domed ceiling is a very large, very elaborate gold chandelier. And likewise, the colour scheme is mostly gold and dark-brown marble. Once we’d gotten naked and wrapped up in our petimals – that plaid hammam sarong used to maintain the public bather’s modesty – we were invited to spend five minutes in the steam room. Our therapist, Dayu, popped her head in through the water-vapour just when we were thinking we might gasp our last. With our skin soft and sweaty and ready for the scrub, she had us lie down on the central pedestal and poured warm water over us out of copper beakers. The heat of the stone beneath us and the waves Dayu’s indulgent pouring ritual had us melting into a wad of human putty. Just as well, because the scrubbing commenced then and it was heavy duty stuff. Though the traditional kese (the bath mitt) isn’t as rough as the Moroccan variety, it’s still very effective and particularly when combined with the pressure Dayu was using. Now, regardless of how many times a day you shower, nothing removes dead skin as well as a good hammam. Hence, this part of the treatment is as satisfying as it is disgusting. You get to see all the grime and dead skin peeling off your body. Next came the lathering. Watch carefully, because you’ll enjoy seeing how the foam is made.
For this, Dayu put a chunk of soap in one of the copper pots along with a fine muslin, sown on three sides like a pillow-case. She mixed these with water until things got frothy. She then extracted the pillow-case, flapped it out and gripped the open end trapping the air, which turned the muslin case into a balloon. Next, Dayu ran a closed fist along the length of it, and out emerged a heap of foam which piled onto us in a fuzzy, tickly sensation. This process was repeated a few times until we looked like a reclining snowman and then the lathering, or more accurately, a foam massage followed. Hailing from Bali, Dayu is a professional masseuse, and you can tell when she starts soaping you. Her hands move in fluid motions and exert a satisfying degree of pressure which works into your achy bits.
Pros
We loved the effort put into making things as Turkish as possible. From the products and utensils used, to the ayran (laban) that was served to us in the relaxation area after our treatment had finished.
Cons
In all traditional hammams, whether Turkish or Moroccan, the hammam chamber is dimly lit. In the daytime, this will be via the sunlight that pours in through the holes in the domed roof. In the evenings, sparse lighting will set the cosy mood. This provides an element of mystery, allowing better relaxation and saving both yourself and your therapist from having to behold the peels of grime coming off in all their glory. Unfortunately the glare from the giant chandelier at the Eastern Mangroves spa didn’t allow this. Things were too bright to close your eyes without feeling stupid and exposed. The place certainly looked fantastic, but felt more like being in a hotel lobby than a rejuvenating retreat.
The verdict
Overall, this was a wonderfully indulgent experience in a sumptuous new spa that’s well worth the visit.
Traditional Turkish hammam is a 40-minute treatment which costs Dhs400 at the Anantara Spa at Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara (02 656 1000).
