Cathedrals of the Flesh (29 page)

Switzerland

Switzerland has many famous spa resorts, such as Bad Ragaz and Interlaken, where the infirm come to take the waters, but very
few would qualify as public baths. Therme Vals is a stunning exception.

Therme Vals.
7132 Vals/GR. Tel: 41.81.926.8080.
www.therme-vals.ch
. If you've ever wondered how Augustus or Claudius felt at the Roman baths, head to Therme Vals in Switzerland's easternmost
canton. Therme Vals is more than a bath, it's a protected architectural monument designed by minimalist master Peter Zumthor.
Cavernous, labyrinthine chambers carved out of the local silver-gray quartzite contain hot pools, frosty plunges, flower petal
pools, echo chamber pools, and an outdoor pool staring into a solid Swiss mountain face.

Syria

Syria, like many Middle Eastern countries, has its own style of hamam that reflects the architecture of the region.

Hamam Yalbougha an-Nasry.
Aleppo. Tel: 963.21.362.3154.

Wedged between the busy souk and the touristy citadel, this exquisite ablaq-tiled hamam is surprisingly uncrowded. Communal
yet private, with sofas arranged in individual compartments in the resting lounge, the hamam offers a genuine community and
wonderful scrubbing treatments.

Turkey.

Turkey is home to thousands of hamams. While hamams were once a cherished weekly ritual where people cleansed themselves and
socialized, hamams today are more relics of the past, at least in the cities. This is slowly changing as a new generation
of Turks rediscovers the appeal of this ancient tradition.

Most hamams use steam and running water because the Koran prohibits soaking in still water for health reasons. In areas with
abundant thermal waters, such as Bursa and Bodrum, pools are allowed because the mineral-rich water is constantly replenishing
itself.

Bodrum

Bodrum Hamami.
Cevat Sakir Cad., Fabrika Sokak (Garaj Karsisi) Bodrum —Mu?la. Tel: 90.252.313.4129.
www.bodrumhamami.com.tr
. The Bodrum outpost of Istanbul's Çemberlitas, this hamam boasts Bodrum's thermal waters and separate men's and women's areas.

Bursa

Yeni Kaplica
(New Spring), Yeni Kaplica Cad. 6, Çekirge. Tel: 90.0224.236.6968.

Built by Suleyman the Magnificent's Grand Vizier in 1552, the men's side still possesses its original grandeur while the women's
side is smaller and more intimate.

Kervansary Hotel's 100-year hamam.
Çekirge Meydani, 16080 Çekirge. Tel: 90.0224.233.9300.

Although this hamam is attached to a modern hotel, it is Bursa's oldest hamam, built in 1389 by Sultan Murat I on top of the
original Byzantine baths. The old masonry and soaring domes, especially in the central relaxation room, make this the prime
place to bathe in Bursa.

Kara Mustafa Pasa Thermal Bath.
Mudanya Cad. 10. Tel: 90.0224.236.6956.

This Byzantine bath includes one section with all the expected hamam facilities, as well as a second section where you can
ease yourself into a tub of hot mud.

Ç
elik Palas Hotel thermal pool.
Çekirge Cad. 79, 16070 Çekirge/Bursa. Tel: 90.0224.233.3800.

This hotel hamam is clean and modern and has the amenities you'd expect in a Western hotel. This is a good alternative if
you're put off by the grittier local hamams.

Istanbul

Ç
emberlitas.
Vezirhan Cad. 8, Çemberlitas-Eminonii. Tel: 90.212.520.1850.
www.cemberlitashamami.com.tr
.

Owner Rusen Baltaci lovingly maintains his hamam, carrying on the tradition and culture with integrity. Built in 1584, this
hamam has both a men's and a women's section and traditional Ottoman architecture. It's easy for tourists because much of
the staff speaks English, they accept credit cards, and discounts are available for people with International Student IDs.

Ca
alo
lu.
Prof. Kazim Ismail Giirkan Cad. 34, Çemberlita?-Eminonu. Tel: 90.212.522.2424.
www.Cagalogluhamami.com.tr
.

Like Çemberlitas, this is another historic Sultanahmet hamam. Built in 1741, it was the last big bath to be built in Istanbul
displaying all the flourishes of bath architecture. It is not maintained as well as Çemberlita?, and the women's facilities
are not nearly as nice as the men's.

Ö
ri
ü
ci
ü
ler Hamam.
Kapalicarsi Örücüler Kapisi Sok. 32, Beyazit-Eminönü. Tel: 90.212.527.9263.

This men-only bath was built sometime prior to 1489 and can be found next to the Oruculer or 'Weavers' Gate to the Covered
Bazaar. It's popular with tourists because it's clean and well run.

Ç
inili Hamam.
Itfaiye Cad. 46, Zeyrek-Fatih. Tel: 90.212.631.8883.

Ç
inili
means 'tiled' and many hamams bear this name, so take special care in finding the right one, which is located in a traditional,
religious section of Istanbul. Built by Mimar Sinan (Turkey's most famous architect) in 1546, it is a prime example of the
accomplishments of hamam architecture.

Süleymaniye Hamam.
Mimar Sinan Cad. 20, Beyazit-Eminönü. Tel: 90.212.520.3410.
www.suleymaniyehamami.com
.

Built in 1557 by Mimar Sinan, this bath is renowned for its grandeur and beauty. Available for men or mixed tourist groups
if they call ahead and book, the hamam has many historic relics from Sinan's time.

A
?
a Hamam.
Turnacibasi Sok. 60, Beyo?lu. Tel: 90.212.249.5027.

In the newly chic neighborhood of Cucurcuma, the A?a Hamam has been in operation since 1562. Open twenty-four hours a day
for alternating single-gender sessions, this hamam epitomizes the warm neighborhood vibe of the best hamams. After two visits
the
tellaks
will recognize you and give you 'the usual' - a
kese,
soaping, and massage.

United States

Many immigrants, in particular Russians, have set up versions of their native baths in America. This is a sampling of some
historic and well-known bathhouses, as well as some therapeutic spas known for their bathhouse vibe.

New York

The Russian Turkish Baths.
268 East Tenth Street, New York, NY 10009.

Tel: 212.473.8806.

Known by admirers as East Tenth Street, this old shvitz has been in business since 1896. The basement steam complex, especially
the Russian Room (a.k.a. The Oven), certainly exudes soul that people with a fondness for hard-core heat and Lower East Side
history will appreciate, but everyone wishes the owners would make a bit more of an effort to keep the place up. New towels
please!

Spa 88.
88 Fulton Street, New York, NY 10038. Tel: 212.766.8600.

www.spa88.com
.

A cleaner alternative to East Tenth Street, Spa 88 is popular with young expat Russians because the upstairs restaurant serves
Manhattan's best
pelmeni
and the banya master has a way with the
veynik.
There's also a pool and Jacuzzi on the second floor, but most bathers divide their time between the hot rooms and cold plunge
downstairs.

Mermaid Club.
3701 Mermaid Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. Tel: 718.265.5188.

This Brighton Beach banya was recently remodeled. You won't hear much English, and it's a good approximation of the real Russian
banyas except that men and women, in bathing suits, are shvitzing together.

Bania.
602 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11218. Tel: 718.853.2525.

A traditional banya favored by Russians living in Brooklyn.

Juvenex.
25 West Thirty-second Street, 5th Floor. Tel: 646—733—1330.

www.juvenexspa.com
.

The intricately tiled 5,000-square-foot bath has curved showers, three soaking tubs (hot, cold, and different infusions),
a diamond-shaped steam room, and two saunas constructed out of eighteen tons of jade blocks. The effect is beautiful in a
jewel-box sort of way, but it's overpriced.

California

Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa.
25000 Glen Ivy Road, Glen Ivy, CA 92883. Tel:

1.888.CLUB.MUD.
www.glenivy.com
.

The daily admission includes all aspects of the Club Mud experience —seventeen pools, steam rooms, Roman baths, a covered
saltwater spa, the red clay mud bath, towels, etc. A resort since the 1890s and revered by the Native Americans for thousands
of years, today Glen Ivy Hot Springs is a rollicking, all-day retreat for bath and spa lovers.

Two Bunch Palms.
67—425 Two Bunch Palms Trail, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240. Tel: 760.329.8791.
www.twobunchpalms.com
.

Made famous as the place Tim Robbins went on the lam in
The Player,
Two Bunch Palms has long been a favorite hangout and hideout for Hollywood's big names. The green clay mud treatments and
therapeutic crystalline waters make it more than just a legendary lair.

The Kabuki Springs & Spa.
1750 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94115, in the Kinokuniya Building directly behind the AMC Kabuki Theater.

Tel: 405.922.6000.
www.kabukisprings.com
.

The Kabuki Springs & Spa offers traditional Japanese bathing facilities as well as a variety of spa services. The communal
baths, with a full-time attendant, have a hot pool, cold plunge, dry sauna, and steam room. There are also a variety of complimentary
bath products, sea salts, chilled cucumber face cloths, and teas.

Osento.
955 Valencia Street (between 20th and 21st Streets), San Francisco, CA 94110. Tel. 415.282.6333.
www.osento.com
.

This women-only bath was opened by two friends who were inspired by bathing traditions in Japan, Finland, and other bath-friendly
countries. The facilities include three showers (outdoor, Japanese stool style, and Western style), a hot tub, a cold tub,
a dry sauna, a wet sauna, and a deck for sunning, socializing, and reading. Massage is also available.

City Spa
(formerly Pico-Burnside Baths). 5325 West Pico Boulevard (between Fairfax and La Brea Ave.), Los Angeles, CA. Tel:

323.938.4800 or 877.CITYSPA.

This Russian bathhouse opened in 1954, which means it's 'old school' by L.A. standards. Regulars love that the bath has lots
of opportunities for cooling off, including a cold plunge and a cold swimming pool.

Beverly Hot Springs.
308 N. Oxford Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90004. Tel:

323.734.7000.
www.beverlyhotsprings.com
.

A low-key place where bathers can congregate in a paparazzi-free environment to soak in the alkaline waters that gurgle forth
from 2,000 feet beneath the bathhouse. The facilities, which include hot and cold pools and steam and dry herbal saunas, are
spotless. After a long soak there's a spa area for a variety of Eastern treatments including acupressure, shiatsu, and various
body wraps.

Florida

The Russian and Turkish Baths.
Castillo Del Mar at The Castle, 5445 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140. Tel: 305.867.8316.

www.florida.com/russianandturkishbath
.

The slightly more spic-and-span cousin of the New York original is essential bathing for the shvitzing aficionado. Regulars
rave about the intensity of the heat and the hard-core platza.

Nirvana Spa.
8701 Collins Avenue (in the Dezerland Hotel), Miami Beach, FL 33154. Tel: 305.867.4850.
www.nirvanaspamiamibeach.com
.

This Russian bathhouse has four different steam rooms, including an all-cedar Russian steam room, a Turkish-style steam room,
plus an aromatherapy steam room and Finnish sauna.

The Hotel Victor Spa.
1126-1144 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139.

Paris-based decorator Jacques Garcia unveils his first American hotel, which includes a Turkish hamam as the spa concept.
The bath-friendly spa, which along with the hotel opens in May 2004, has an ornate mixed-gender steam room with curved ceilings
and intricate pillars as its focal point. Turkish-style massages take place on marble slabs and cold showers and chilled towels
keep patrons cool.

The Standard Spa.
40 Island Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139. Tel: