The Hammam

The traditional Turkish bath, described in sequence.

Built in 1202 to support Avanos's Alaaddin Mosque, this 800-year-old historic Turkish hammam was restored in 1726 and faithfully restored again in 2024. Inside, you move through the rooms in the order they were built for, at an unhurried pace. Here is what to expect, step by step.

What is a Turkish hammam?

A Turkish hammam is a bathing house built around warmth, water and rest. Instead of a pool, it has a heated marble platform at its centre — the göbek taşı — surrounded by domed chambers and small alcoves with marble basins. You move slowly from warm to hot rooms, wash with water poured from a bowl, are scrubbed and washed with foam, and finish in a cooler room with a drink.

At Alaaddin Hamam this happens inside a double hammam built in 1202 in Avanos, with 14 domes, two heated marble platforms (göbek taşı) of 15 m² each, a steam room at around 60 °C and a dry sauna. Up to 35 guests can be welcomed at the same time, and 8 private rooms are available. The steps below follow a visit from the entrance to the last moment of rest.

01
Before entering
You are received quietly at the entrance and shown to a private changing alcove with a lockable locker. A pestemal, towel, bathrobe, slippers and the care essentials for your ritual are ready for you, so you only need to bring yourself — and swimwear if you prefer. Our team explains each step and confirms your preferences, including whether you would like a female or male therapist.
02
The pestemal
You are given a pestemal — a lightweight woven cotton wrap. It is worn throughout the visit and is the defining garment of the Turkish bath. Beneath it, most guests wear swimwear or comfortable underwear.
03
The warm chamber
The visit really begins in the warm chamber. Give the body time to get used to the heat; breathing slows, and from here on the building sets the pace. Female and male attendants are on duty at every hour.
04
The hot chamber, steam room and sauna
The hot chamber is the heart of the hammam. Steam settles into the stone until the walls and floor give off warmth of their own. Next to it are the steam room, at around 60 °C, and a dry sauna. Time here is yours: the use of the hammam, sauna and steam room is unlimited and separate from the treatment time of your package.
05
The göbek taşı
At the centre of the chamber lies the göbek taşı — literally 'belly stone' — a large heated marble platform. Alaaddin Hamam has two of them, 15 m² each. Before the washing begins, guests lie still on the warm marble and let the heat work.
06
Traditional bathing at the kurna
Water is drawn from marble basins with a copper bowl and poured slowly over the shoulders. The gesture is simple and centuries old, and it sits at the centre of the Anatolian bathing tradition.
07
Kese: the full-body scrub
An attendant works over the whole body with a kese, an exfoliating mitt — at Alaaddin Hamam a disposable one for every guest. In the Pir-u Pak ritual the scrub lasts 20 minutes. It is one of the most recognisable parts of the Turkish hammam and can leave the skin feeling smooth.
08
The foam wash and foam massage
Soft clouds of soap foam are gathered in a cloth and drawn across the body. In Pir-u Pak it is a 20-minute foam wash; in Keyf-i Hammam it becomes a foam massage with hair washing and a hand and foot massage; in the Sultan ritual it is extended to 30 minutes with a deep scalp massage.
09
Face mask and body care
Every package includes a face mask: Cappadocia clay in Pir-u Pak, natural seaweed in Keyf-i Hammam and a mask with 24-karat gold dust in the Sultan ritual. The Premium and Sultan rituals add body care — mango-scented sea salt, or a Turkish coffee body mask.
10
Rest after bathing
Wrapped in dry cotton, you rest in a cooler chamber with a drink — hot and cold drinks, fresh cookies or, in the Sultan ritual, a platter of fruit, Turkish coffee and Turkish delight. This quiet rest belongs to the ritual as much as the scrub and the foam.
11
Privacy and etiquette
The hammam is a quiet space. Voices stay low, the pestemal is worn in shared areas, and the göbek taşı is shared with care. In the shared areas each party has its own time, so you share the space only with the people you came with. Private washing rooms for two and the Sultan suite are also available, and a private area for women can be prepared on request when you book.