Hammam as a kind of bathroom with a Turkish bath

Traditions of visiting the baths of different nations have quite a few differences. The "hammam" bath is recognized as the mildest. The temperature in it is the lowest (usually 30-55 degrees), and the humidity, on the contrary, is high. Turkish baths - hammam - have always been famous for their healing properties. They are valued for the excellent cleansing effect on the body and promoting health. More and more people around the world join the traditional Turkish bath. Even people with diseases of the heart and blood vessels can visit this bath.

Design of Turkish baths is really luxury, as Turkish going to the bath is a kind of sacred tradition. Women in Turkey, going to the bath often discuss news and all kinds of things and actively lead their social life. Bathing procedure in Turkey may last all day long.

The design of Turkish baths differs significantly from all other types of baths. The thing is that the water boiler is located in the next room, and the steam flows into the main room through special pipes. In addition to the steam room and the technical part of the hammam, there is a room for relaxation.

In the main room, the steam room, professional bathhouse attendants massage with soap foam. There is no hot steam and contrast shower here, neither are there any brooms. Everything is provided for calm rest in this bathhouse: the floor and the benches are heated, the steam is supplied with essential oils, and the diffused light makes the atmosphere even more favorable.

Oriental hammam has several rooms located around the main room. In this room is a special chair or massage table - "gebek". In the neighboring rooms are steam rooms, dressing room, relaxation room and a room with a steam generator.

In the national Oriental bathhouse, usually there are several steam rooms with different levels of temperature, so visitors have the opportunity to determine the most comfortable heating for themselves. The hammam has a fairly simple principle of construction. The walls, floors and benches gently heat the room, and steam with essential oils is supplied through special outlets. Traditional hammam has three pools with water of different temperature.

Traditional hammam bath is represented by at least three rooms:

1. The dressing room, or "jamekian", is located first.
2. Pre-bath, here the body warms up and prepares for the subsequent ceremony. The temperature here is about 35 degrees.
3. The steam room, "harareth". In this room the temperature is kept on 45 degrees and the steam saturation is such that the visibility is not more than 1 meter.

It is in the steam room that soap foam massages are performed, as well as skin cleansing to help renew the skin. The process is then followed by water treatments. To make the procedures more effective, the steam is enriched with aromatic oils.

The bathing room has a round shape, and in the center there is a massage table. There are special niches around the perimeter of the room where the humidity and temperature are very high.

Afterwards, visitors move on to the next room, the "sogukluk", to lie down and relax and have some tea.

The therapeutic effects of the hammam bath are extraordinarily great. Here pores dilate and perspiration improves, which contributes to cleansing and rejuvenation of the whole body. Together with sweat are removed all harmful substances from the body. The mild temperature allows the muscles to relax and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system.

Hammam helps normalize the respiratory system, and also serves as an excellent prevention of colds. Bathing procedures also help improve sleep and relieve stress. It is very useful for people with digestive problems and overweight, as the mild temperature atmosphere promotes the normal functioning of the body.

The construction of a Turkish bath is quite a complex process that requires a professional approach. It will be better to use the services of professionals to get your own bath, which is so popular because of its healing properties. Below will be some tips on how to build a hammam on their own.

The bathing room should be represented by at least a couple of separate rooms:

• technical room, where the steam generator will be located (the area of such a room is approximately 1 m2);
• The main room.

Layers should be laid as follows:

• a layer of insulation,
• thermal insulation layer,
• layer of waterproofing,
• heating system (water or electric),
• levelling plaster,
• screed and final waterproofing.

Walls, ceiling and floor must necessarily be decorated in the national Turkish traditions.

The main advantage of the hammam bath is that its construction does not require a separate building. You can locate it in any room, whether it is a cottage, apartment or wellness center. The main thing that this room has plumbing, sewage, electricity and ventilation.

To arrange the hammam does not require a large area, so the apartment of small size is suitable.

Technical room should be located close to the main room, but no further than 15 meters. Do not forget that after completing the decoration of the room its internal volume will be reduced by at least 10 cm.

The main materials used to make a hammam bath are stone and metal. The use of wood is inadmissible here. The main requirement when choosing materials is durability, resistance to temperature changes and moisture.

The best material for finishing the Turkish bath is marble. Since ancient times it is used for the finishing of the walls and beds. Due to its natural properties, it keeps heat for a long time, allows you to smooth out temperature changes and is very durable. This material will indicate impeccable taste of the owner of the house, and its cost is quite high. Replace the natural stone is quite expensive rock can be ceramic tile or glass mosaic.

As finishing often used smalta, small glass mosaic of different colors, which is available in the form of plates or tiles of small size (1 to 5 cm). It can be used for laying beautiful pictures with national ornaments on any surface. This material is very dense, has high frost resistance and heat resistance. The ornamentation of this material is obvious, malta glows as if from within and creates shimmers of light. There are more than 80 shades of malta. The work of laying a mosaic is very laborious, but the result will delight you.

Ceramic tile - a material that is easier to handle and has a low cost. This material can be a worthy competitor to marble and smalt. You can create an inexpensive and, at the same time, very beautiful finish, because the choice of sizes and shades of ceramic tiles is really huge.

Flooring in the Turkish bath is set at a slight angle so that the water can easily drain, and provide heating with a special system. The floor consists of several layers. Two layers of cement screed, between which is laid a waterproofing layer, and the final coating of marble, glass mosaic or ceramic tiles.

In the bath hammam heating and humidity level of the room is maintained due to the fact that the wall panels, flooring and benches are heated. Special outlets supply steam from the technical room, where it is produced by a steam generator.

There are two types of heating systems for the hammam bath - water and electric. Electric heating is due to heating elements located under all surfaces. However, the water heating will be more profitable and budgetary option. It implies the placement under all surfaces of small in thickness pipes through which the hot water circulates. Regardless of which type of heating you choose, the technical unit must be located in a separate room.

Electric cable must be used heat-resistant, and fixtures with a high degree of waterproofing, as high humidity requires compliance with all safety measures.

Quite unusual in the design of such a bath looks ceiling lighting in the form of "starry sky". Such lighting will give the room a mysterious look.

The sewage system in the main room of the bath must be equipped with a special lock to protect the room from extraneous odors. Bath hammam sewerage system is combined with the common house sewerage system.

The steam generator is the most important element in a Turkish bath. It is the one that maintains high humidity inside the room. The power of the steam generator directly depends on the area of the sauna room. A special thermo-sensor ensures that the steam entering the sauna does not heat up the room above 55 degrees.

The steam generator itself is located in the adjoining room, and the steam supply system under the benches in the bath. The control system is located at the entrance to the bath, it regulates the lighting and temperature systems.

On the Russian market offer steam generators, manufactured in Sweden and Finland. Connect the steam generator for 1-1,5 hours before the planned visit.

Bathing procedures will be even more pleasant if saturated steam aromatic essential oils, most of which have a therapeutic effect. The aromatherapy system sprays essential essences independently.

Steam enters the room from under the benches, where special devices are installed. Bathing procedure in the Turkish bath promotes increased perspiration, especially for this purpose inside the steam room is placed a source of water - kurna, a container for ablution near the wall, which has no drain.

Kurna is the classic eastern element where the incense and massage soap solution is prepared. Traditionally kurna is made of marble. The kurna has elegant cold and warm water taps in a traditional oriental style.

When the installation of the kurna is finished, the laying beds and massage table are laid. Most often bricks are used for laying them. The beds and the table always have to be heated. The surface of the table may vary in size: quite wide, accommodating several people, or, conversely, narrow, designed for one person.

Hammam in traditional oriental style should be decorated with a mosaic panel or ceramic paintings in the national Turkish traditions. To decorate the walls are used marble tiles or multicolored mosaic.

Naturally, the final design of hammam bath depends on your personal desires and design idea.

1. Benches, wall panels and flooring must be heated to optimum temperatures.
2. Wiring should be made of temperature and moisture resistant cable.
3. Lighting elements should be low voltage and protected from moisture and temperature.
4. The drainage hole is equipped with a special damper that prevents the penetration of aromas. Heat the hammam a couple of hours before the planned use, setting the air temperature at around 50 degrees.
5. After completing all bathing procedures you need to clean using cleaning products.
6. Twice a year you need to make a preventive inspection of technical equipment and clean the steam generator.