History: Turkish Bath (Structure)

A typical hamam consists of three basic, interconnected rooms: the sıcaklık, which is the hot room; the warm room (tepidarium), which is the intermediate room; and the soğukluk, which is the cool room. The main evolutionary change between Roman baths and Turkish baths concerns the cool room.

The hot room (sıcaklık)

Purpose: soaking up steam and getting scrub massages

Features:

• a large dome decorated with small glass windows that create a half-light 
• contains a large marble stone called göbek taşı (tummy stone) at the center that the customers lie on, 
• niches with fountains in the corners

Warm room (tepidarium) 

Purpose: washing up with soap and water

Cool room (soğukluk)

Purpose: relax, dress up, have a refreshing drink, sometimes tea, and, where available, a nap in a private cubicle after the massage. A few of the hammams in Istanbul also contain ritual cleansing baths for Jewish women. 

Hamam complexes usually contain separate quarters for men and women; or males and females are admitted at separate times. Because they were social centers as well as baths, hamams became numerous during the time of the Ottoman Empire and were built in almost every Ottoman city. On many occasions they became places of entertainment (e.g. dancing and food, especially in the women's quarters) and ceremonies, such as before weddings, high-holidays, celebrating newborns, beauty trips.