Milford chronicle., 1911-01-06
The TURKISH < BATH b! /
A Victims Story of the Real Thing
In Its Native Land.
WELL MAULED AND SCRAPED.
He Was kneaded, Plueked, Turned
Over and Walked Upon and Then
Scrubbed as Though He Were
Kitchen Floor.

ONeF aHA WnAkE1 upon ana nGT
Scrubbed as Though He Were =
Kitchen Floor.
The tourist who wanders about
Stamboul will from time to time come
on 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 domes are often of a peculiar salm-
on 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 a part of godliness it
self, ordains a 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 a min
imum and a shampOOer and a flesh
glove if he can afford such luXuries.
One enters, as in the west. into the
cooling room, generally a high domed
room with many galleries around. a
marble floor and a fountain. and be-
fore going to a private room or, If the
bath is to be done on the cheap, to
a place on the big common sofas one
exchanges dirty boots for slipshod
heelless slippers. Watch and valua-
bles may be left under the care of the
cooling room attendant. who superln-
tends the process of undressing, winds
a loin cloth around one and throws a
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 Ike Agag. delicately, in
fear of a fall, till he learns to imi-
tate the speed Of the bath men by
abandoning all attempts to walk and
executing a fast shuttle.
The outer hot room, at about the
temperature Of an English shampOOing
room. Is a very secondary affair One
stays there for a little, still clothed in
the primrose towel, reclining on a dis |
tant imitation Of a bed, drinking cOf-
fee and smoking a cigarette, perhaps |
watching couple Of shampOOers /
amusing themselves by a wrestling |
bout. The customer and the shampoo /
er wear the same type Of loin cloth, /
an elaborate check Of red and yellow I
AnA hn In tho 3
streets on an apron worn by the AL |
bantam sellers of chestnuts or sweet
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. a heavy wooden affair, kept
shut by counterweight. whose bang
ing is not the least characteristic noise
in the bath Inside IS a large square
domed room. Innumerable bullseyes
in the dome admit the light which the
whltewashed walls reflect, making
light and airy effect. On the great
square slab in the middle they have
placed towel and a pillow. and here
one lies leaving the clogs on the floor.
Round the room, screened from one
another by dwarf walls, are a row of
marble basins, and here may be seen
all classes-such is the democracy Of
the army officer to the
day laborer, whose shaved head oddly
a tonsure. The poorer classes
DO not indulge in the luxury Of mas
sage. They come for a wash only and
often bring their own soap for econO
my's sake It is not uncommon to see
two Of them scrubbing one another by
turns.
Presently, unbidden, the shampOOer
the slab and squats beside his
rictim. Most of his work consists in
1neading the flesh rather than the
ong, heavy strokes Of an English mas
jeur. But when the customer is turn
ID on his face the masseur becomes
more energetic He plucks the skin
N each side of the spine walks up
md down on the back and strenuOusly
gathers up arms and legs into curious
zone breaking knots regardless Of the
,runts of the stiff jointed west A
maj SupeI-GOIuldu KNOT anu tue cldp- !
ling Of his hands show that 1t is over
The customer, as soon as he can col
ect limbs which seem to have been
ulled clean off him. adiourns to one Of
he basins and is rubbed with rough
love to take off the old skin. Then D
he man brings battered metal bowl
'old bowl. old bath" is the Turkish
roverb for "the old. old story'O with G
Dap and a lather wisp Of "1yf" Mecca
aim fiber. and scrubs conscientiously I
Or some ten minutes, working with I
he abandon of Jealous housemaid on 3
floor, forgetful apparently that the I
bject he is scrubbing is flesh and e
lood /
Finally he pours warm water from {
he bowl to wash away the last of the '
and. if the bath is large and v
p to date one, conducts his we'll scrub Il
ed victim to cold douche c
Drying takes place in the outer hot o
pom. sundry loin cloths and towels