Aynı tas, aynı hamam Same Water Bowl, Same Turkish BathLife inevitably sinks into the same old, same old—laundry, dishes, exercise routine, school, work, homework, tripping over the same toys left on the floor, in an out of the same neighbor’s houses, in and out of the same neighborhood shops, in and out of the same bus on the same bus route. Business as usual. Same water bowl, same Turkish bath. Aynı tas, aynı hamam.
But what are we saying?! We live in İstanbul, purported by some to be the fastest growing tourism destination in the World. And if people from all over the globe want to be here, one would think that this city offers something other than the same old, same old for us.
Take the Turkish bath, for example, a highlight of the tourist experience: the curtain of humidity you walk through as you step into the marble cavern, the sensation of cold and hot water draping your body, the shock of how many unknown and unwanted dead skin cells have been clinging to you as the masseuse scrapes them off with the exfoliating kese. While this might be a rare occasion for the American visitor, the Turkish bath was once a ritual part of every day life in this region. A synthesis of the Central Asian steam baths and Roman public baths, the Ottoman Turkish designed hamam was a place for cleansing, socializing, and even business. Exotic to us now, even the hamam had become the same old, same old for some.
We have to say, as luxurious and even (if you know where to go) decently priced the hamams might be, and as exciting as living in this culturally-intriguing city might be, we can’t really call ourselves tourists any longer. This is our home, and we actually feel pretty pleased with our good old, comfy sunken-in routine—the same seasonal veggies for dinner, the same breath of fresh air at our park, the same friends and neighbors and teachers who we get to interact with on a daily basis…the same lovely life.
Traditional Turkish baths are often decorated with Ottoman-Turkish tile work.
