Turkish bath in Ankara

Of the ten venues in Ankara offering a Turkish bath, seven are in Çankaya, two in Kızılcahamam and one in Mamak; eight operate inside a hotel. None on the list is registered as a historic hammam: the options in Çankaya are mostly in the spas of city hotels, and those in Kızılcahamam are in thermal hotels. The two addresses outside a hotel are Elemor Spa in Çankaya and a day-use facility in Mamak.

Hammams in Ankara: a space or a session?

In Ankara's hotel spas, Turkish bath can mean two different things: a heated marble area used together with the pool and sauna, or a session given by an attendant with kese (exfoliating scrub) and foam wash. Of the ten venues on the list, only three include both kese and foam among their services. One of them, Dayinn Spa in Çukurambar, offers kese and foam wash together with themed Day Spa packages, alongside an indoor pool and sauna. At hotel hammams such as New Park Hotel, Seven Deep Hotel and Latanya Hotel, you need to ask in advance which services come with the hammam.

Hammams in Kızılcahamam and Mamak

Eliz Hotel in Kızılcahamam, with its thermal pools, saunas and hammams separated for women and men, is the obvious choice on the list for those looking for separate facilities. Lüx Doğukent Hamamı in Mamak runs its hammam on a day-use basis together with a sauna, swimming pool and aqua park; a different set-up for those who also want to swim on the day of their hammam visit.

Before you go: ask whether kese and foam are included in the entry price, whether a peshtemal and slippers are provided, and whether swimwear is required in the hammam at Dayinn Spa, Elemor Spa and Newlife Spa Center, which are listed as mixed. If it is your first visit, reading up on how to use a hammam beforehand will make things easier. The stages of the ritual are described on the Turkish bath page; for all the spa and massage options in the city, see the Ankara page.