I keep a list of the delights discovered during my years of living in the UAE, things I never knew I needed in my life, and the hammam experience sits right at the top. Most people never exfoliate properly, something that becomes painfully obvious during a hammam. And there is absolutely nothing like the feeling of walking out afterwards: cleansed, soft, silky, detoxed and ready to conquer the world – after a big sleep that is.
I’ve experienced all sorts of hammams: the real, bare bones, group variety, Istanbul-style; budget class; and at local spas – and my favourite: the Traditional Turkish Hammam at the Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa, Abu Dhabi. For the uninitiated, the experience can be daunting. Also, hammams can vary and offer a variety of bells and whistles. The following gives a pretty good idea of what the uninitiated can expect from their hammam experience.
It’s warm, wet and steamy
The treatment lasts about an hour, starting with a 10-minute steam and 10-minute sauna. I have already been wrapped around the middle in a plaid towel, leaving my arms and legs exposed. My therapist, Candy, is wearing a black T-shirt and has a towel around her waist. I am already sweating, which is good, she says, because the heat opens the pores. As I lay on the round marble slab in the centre of the spa’s gorgeous hammam space, she pours jugs of warm water all over my body until I’m totally soaked.
A very good scrub
Out comes the mitt, which is the only hurts-so-good part of the hammam treatment. The therapist asks about the pressure and this is where you are going to want to be very honest about your preference: I like to get the most exfoliation out of my treatments, so I prefer someone with a heavy hand. But it can lead to some wincing and it’s not for everyone, plus, there are still benefits with a lighter touch. Not to be too graphic, but in a really good hammam, you probably lose a lot of dry, old skin. It’s one of those things that is very gross but also kind of cool.
A cloud of bubbles
What comes after the pain from the scrub subsides is one of the most lovely parts: the therapist dunks what looks like a giant pillowcase in a bucket of water heavy with suds from Turkish olive soap, then waves it around until it fills up with air. Then she slowly squeezes it over me until I am covered in a thick layer of warm, bubbly foam. It’s a delicious feeling, probably made more so because it’s such an intense contrast to the painful scratching that came before. A short massage into my skin follows, before turning over to repeat the process. One delightful addition is a hair wash and condition, done while I am still lying on the slab; and then more jugs of warm water poured over me until all the soap is gone.
Take care
The marble is very slippery in the hammam and the therapist takes a lot of time guiding me from steam to sauna to marble slab and then to standing. My therapist asks if I’d like to be doused with cold water and although I want to say no, I say yes, because I’ve read that a shock of cold water at the end of a shower is good for me and I’m curious. Go for the cold water – again, it’s all about the contrasts. A little time in the relaxation room drinking water and tea, iron milk (which tastes like laban to me), nibbling on a Turkish delight and I was on my way – renewed and refreshed, with soft skin and a warm, happy glow.
• The Traditional Turkish Hammam at Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa, Abu Dhabi, is Dh450. To book, call 02 656 1146 or email easternmangroves_spa@anantara.com
amcqueen@thenational.ae
The components
• Moroccan: 100 per cent natural black soap
• Ottoman: super-sudsing olive-oil soap
• An exfoliating mitt, hand-loofahs also known as kiis or kessa
• The soapy pillowcase: a muslin square of fabric, dipped in soapy water and filled with air, then squeezed out to cover the client in a warm layer of suds
• Lashings of hot water, cold water, towels and a robe
