Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1911-01-12
the TURKISH BATH
A Victims Story {: 81: -: Pa! Peal Thing
In Its Native Land.
WELL MAvLED AND scRAPED.
He Was knsad.d, Plueksd, Turned
Over and Walked Upon and Then
Scrubbed as Though He Were
kitehen EIoo.

Kitchen Floor.
The tourist who wanders about
Stamboul will from time to time come
OH domed buildings of all sizes which
might be taken for mosques but that
they seem to have no fountains and
no minarets. From some place, such as
the terrace Of the mosque of Sultan
Sulayman, where their roofs may be
overlooked, it will be seen that the
low comes are often of q peculiar salm-
OH pink color and always covered
with glass bullseyes. These are the
real Turkish baths.
Quite apart from the ceremonial
wash before prayer, Islam, which con-
siders cleanliness not so much next
to godliness as 81 part of godliness it.
self, ordains periodical scrub all over.
And the Turk, unlike the sodden west,
never sits in hot water, but prefers
hot room, tap and a basin as min
imum and shampoocr and flesh
glove IL he can afford such luxuries.
One enters, as In the west, into the
cooling room, generally high domed
room with many galleries around, a
marble floor and fountain, and be-
fore going to q private room or, If the
bath is to be done on the cheap, to
II place on the big common sofas one
exchanges dirty boots for slipshod
heelless slippers. Watch and valua-
blcs may be left under the care of the
cooling room attendant, who superin-
tends the process Of undressing, winds
IL loin cloth around one and throws Il
primrose towel over ones shoulders.
Before crossing the floor Of the cool
ing room the slippers are again ex-
changed for wooden clogs, wherein the
novice walks like Agag, delicately. in
fear Of Il fall, till he learns to imi-
tate the speed of the bath men by
abandoning all attempts to walk and
executing fast shuttle.
The outer hot room, at about the
temperature of an English shampooing
room, is Il very secondary affair. One
stays there for a little, still clothed in
thu primrose towel, reclining OH IL dis
e. al smoking cigarette, perhaps
W.. hing 81 couple of shampooers
amusing themselves by a wrestling
/. TIL" customer and the shampoo
:ear ;:.. .i;:ne type of loin cloth.
ella oslo ,.;sSk Of red and yellow
IT N:,' ;sc zen any day In the
streets on ali apron worn by the AL
1,n, .,f oh ,tc, r.
meats.
If that cigarette is finished come
into the inner room, heavy with damp
heat, the real bath. The attendant
pulls off the shoulder towel and opens
the door, heavy wooden affair kept
shut by counterweight. whose bang
Ing is not the least characteristic noise
in the bath. Inside is large square
domed room. Innumerable bullseyes
in the dome admit the light, which the
whitewashed walls reflect making
light and airy effect. On the great
square slab in the middle they have
placed a towel and pillow, and here
one lies, leaving the clogs on the floor.
Round the room, screened from one
another by dwarf walls, are row of
marble basins, and here may be seen
all classes-such is the democracy Of
Islam-from the army officer to the
day laborer, whose shaved head oddly
suggests tonsure. The poorer classes
do not indulge in the luxury of mas
sage. They come for wash only and
often bring their own soap for econo-
y,NJ-s. coil &c IN
two of them scrubbing one another by
turns.
Presently, unbiddcn, the shampooer
mounts the slab and squats beside his
victim. Most of his work consists in
kneading the flesh rather than the
long, heavy strokes Of an English mas
seur. But when the customer is turn
ed on his face the masseur becomes
more energetic. He plucks the skin
on each side Of the spine, walks up
and down on the back and strenuously
gathers up arms and legs into curious
bone breaking knots regardless of the
grunts of the stiff jointed west. A
final super-Gordian knot and the clap
ping Of his hands show that 1t is over.
lect limbs which seem to have been
pulled clean of him, adjourns to one of
the basins and is rubbed with rough
glove to take of the old skin. Then
the man brings a battered metal bowl
Cold bowl, old BATH" is the Turkish
proverb for "the old, old story') with
soap and lather wisp of "lyf' Mecca
palm fiber, and scrubs conscientiously
for some ten minutes, working with
the abandon Of Jealous housemaid on
a floor, forgetful apparently that the
object he is scrubbing is flesh and
blood.
Finally he pours warm water from
the bowl to wash away the last of the
soapsuds and, If the bath is large and
up to date one, conducts his well scrub
bed victim to cold douche
Drying takes place in the outer hot
room, sundry loin cloths and towels
nre wrapped about the body, a small
towel makes n turban for the head and
clean clogs are produced for the feet,
which have been dried with great
sometimes inconveniently great-care.
A loud clapping Of hands announces
that the process is over, and the three
or four Turks who seem always to be
doing nothing zealously in the room
crowd round TO wish one good health
London Globe.