With roots in ancient Rome, the practice has become known as hammam, a term for the physical establishment of a bathing house and the act of cleansing the body using water or steam. "It's a 3,000 ...

A mainstay of old Turkish films, hammam scenes were highly entertaining, a free space where women would socialise, eat, drink and even dance. Last year, Istanbul's 500-year-old Zeyrek Cinili ...