page_title: Banya (sauna)
section_title: Turkish hammam
hierarchical_section_title: Banya (sauna) / Comparison with thermal bathing in other cultures / Turkish hammam
caption_attribution_description: Polski: Publiczna bania parowa w Karaczajewsku, Północny Kaukaz, Rosja
context_page_description: A banya is originally an Eastern Slavic steam bath with a wood stove. It is considered an important part of Russian culture with Slavic roots. The bath takes place in a small room or building designed for dry or wet heat sessions. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire.
  In the Russian language, the word banya may also refer to a public bathhouse, most historically famous being the Sanduny.
context_section_description: The hammam (Turkish saunas / baths) are often as glamorous as Roman baths. A visitor who enters the bathhouse finds himself in a spacious hall, where he leaves his clothes and then proceeds down the stairs and through a long narrow corridor to the soap room. In this room he sees several niches for bathing and three narrow doors leading to steam bath, to a cooler room, and to the hall for resting. This is the order of the bathing procedure. Only after having completed it, one goes to a masseur. The source of steam is a gigantic tub of water inside the wall. The steam goes through a hole in the wall. Moreover, the entire bath is heated by hot air, coming through a special pipe located under a marble floor. The bather lies on the hot stone and sweats. When sweating is plentiful, massage starts.
caption: Banya "Hamam" in Karachayevsk
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