Turkish Baths: A Guide to the Historic Turkish Baths of Istanbul

Turkuaz: turkish-american community guide
"...illuminates .. expected Turkish Bath behavior in a way that makes anyone feel welcome in this wonderful experience."


Book Description
Turkish Baths - A Guide to the Historic Turkish Baths of Istanbul, is a lively pictorial jaunt through the history, traditions and culture of the Turkish bath. Discover the bath's contribution to Islamic culture and health, its role in the social lives of sequestered Ottoman women, the tale of the street ruffians who slept in its back corners, its environmental impact as Istanbul's greatest forests succumbed to the giant stokepits, and the sexual activities (primarily same gender) that were an acknowledged part of the bath "scene." The architecture of the bath is its crown, as light filters down onto the bathers stretched languorously on the large, common 'reclining' stone, demonstrated here with scores of beautiful contemporary photographs of Istanbul baths and bathers. This book is also a detailed guide to "bath etiquette"--and a guide to fifty historic baths in Istanbul (some dating as far back as the 15th century) that continue in regular use today. This book is a must for those searching for the perfect Turkish bath experience and those who want to understand what this tradition is all about!


About the Author
Research journalist/writer Orhan Yilmazkaya was born in Germany in 1970. After completing his studies at Istanbul University in 1994 he began working as a free-lance research journalist writing countless articles for newspapers and magazines and appearing on radio talk shows. Orhan Yilmazkaya was the publisher’s perfect choice to author a book on Turkish baths, for he and his family are devoted fans of the Turkish bath tradition and he has been visiting the historic baths of Turkey since he was a small child. For this book, though, he not only used his personal experience, but also searched out the surprisingly few references. He personally visited the fifty baths featured in this book and had scores of interviews with managers, staff, and customers. Orhan is now working on a guide to the best regional restaurants in Turkey.


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