Turkish Baths

Turkish Baths: A Light onto a Tradiiton and Culture is a lively jaunt throught 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 stokepitss, 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" -what to expect and what to do in the bath- 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 what to understand what this tradition is all about!