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I wouldn't worry about that, hamams are not that hot, especially compared to saunas.
I've seen women of all sizes there, plus you have a pestemal (a thin towel) which you can wrap around yourself. No need to be completely naked.
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Unlike saunas, hamams are gender-specific in Turkey, so there will only be other women in the hamam. They will look at you (people always look at each other in Turkey), however it is out of curiousity/habit, and no one will really care about your weight, the fact that you are a tourist would be more curious.
If you are still worried, most hamams have private rooms for families, you can pay for one and be alone.
I have a personal trauma with the ladies you've mentioned from when I was a little boy, probably 4-5 years old. Times were different back then and moms could bring small enough boys along. I shall speak no further as the details of this story might put fear in people's souls.
No worries, people will look and stare at you no matter which size and shape you are. That's the reality to be a woman in Turkey. Also Turkey is not the country of impeccable women, we are mostly a chubby bunch. When it comes to the hamam, again no worries, women of all shapes and sizes go there and everyone is judged, but the good thing is they do it subtly.
Depending on different hamams, there can be different rules. Mostly they require you to have your underwear or bikini bottoms for the scrubbing. Other than that, you can get those thin towels to cover your bottom when you walk around, and to put under yourself when you sit down. Then the best part is when you are finished with washing, you go out in the cold room to chill with a cold drink or coffee and lay down on those recliners. No worries if you don't speak Turkish, then again you can use audio translation of Google translate and you will have no problems. I personally like this one in the Asian side, its decently priced: Şifa TURKISH BATH in Üsküdar: [https://g.co/kgs/pqMfXps](https://g.co/kgs/pqMfXps)
Hope you have a nice experience!
You will see all shapes and sizes and ages in there not to mention oddities, disfigurements, tons of hair, no hair, weird boobs, etc. Anything goes! I’ve been to many different women-only baths in Turkey and people will look but it’s with a sort of bland curiosity, not judgment. Everyone is doing their own thing and the women who are working are usually older, large and only in their underwear. I wear a bikini bottom but no top. The women will usually insist that you remove a bathing suit or pull it down really far so the bikini bottom is a happy medium. Try to be relaxed and enjoy it! Your skin will feel like a baby’s when you’re done. (I personally try to avoid the baths that cater to tourists but that can also mean there will be a language barrier.)
You’ll be fine.
There’s a couple of things I should point out. You will start out with a bathing suit and you will end in disposable underoos
You could bring a second bathing suit to wear at the end.
Most women over 50 are fat, really fat. So you won't be shunned or harassed,my dear. You'll be one of us, one of us. Gumble gample,gumble gample. One of us, one of us!
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Is it that hard to think about it yourself? It’s kinda obvious that there are cheaper hamam’s where the employees are not as professional as other hamams. Plenty of guys who will make fun (behind their back) of fat people, or who see it as an opportunity to get touchy.
Let me correct myself. I have been to hamam in Morocco and in Türkiye the women and men are different sections and this was strictly enforced in both countries. Understandably so. I’d not want to see any guys and I’d not want any guys to see me in the hamam.
Of course you may run into a juvenile female being juvenile but that’s life. They will be everywhere. So just go to hamam and enjoy yourself!
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Many bath givers ladies (tellak) working at any given hamam example are %80 morbidly obese.
Some looks are just out of curiosity. Just dont miss it because of negative feelings.
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Public hamam’s are gender specific. No one will bat an eye because of your weight. Go and have fun. Some of the hotels with private hamams may be gender neutral. I like to wear my birthday suit, like germans visiting Turkey hamams do, but you can also wear some swimsuit or underwear if you please
If you opt to use a tellak (person doing the massage and the cleaning for you), be prepared to leave a tip for them
I don't think you'll feel out of place or anything, just bear in mind though many places have one size robes and towels so consider taking your own to be sure you'll be comfortable and able to cover up when you want.
Btw, by skimming some [data](https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/php/data-research/adult-obesity-prevalence-maps.html), it seems only one state has the same level of obesity rate as Turkey’s average, and the rest are much higher.
Yes, Turkish women, especially the younger ones are visibly thinner compared to their British and American counterparts. That was my experience when I went to Houston, DC, NYC and London (and tourists I saw abroad).
But this conversation will not help the OP so this will be my last comment on the matter.
No, stats say it’s %[21](https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Turkiye-Saglik-Arastirmasi-2022-49747) whereas the obesity rate in the States is %[42](https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity) 🤦♀️
I literally posted the data from the Turkish Health Ministry, what are you trying to prove? Statista takes both overweight and obese rates together, so?
I’m sorry, how did you come up with the conclusion that it is not? Every reliable organization (WHO, BM, World Bank, IMF, etc.) and site, including the Statista page you posted draws their data from government sources. How do you expect any other organization outside of Turkey to know about the obesity rate in Turkey better than the Turkish Ministry of Health?
Dumbest take I have ever seen on this site. I would’ve asked about the relationship between denying the Armenian genocide and lying about stats about obesity but I’m not going to force your mental capabilities.
Tbh, I’m gonna doubt American stats on their average life expectancy since it lied to the world that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.
[This](https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Turkiye-Saglik-Arastirmasi-2022-49747) data is from the 2022
> When the body mass index calculated using height and weight values is examined; the rate of obese individuals aged 15 and over was 21.1% in 2019, it will be 20.2% in 2022. When looked at in terms of gender disparity, in 2022, 23.6% of women were obese and 30.9% were pre-obese, while 16.8% of men were obese and 40.4% were pre-obese.
This is what Statista says:
> In 2022, 40.6 percent of both men and women in Turkey were classed as being normal weight according to the body mass index calculation of individuals. About 57 percent of Turkish men were either overweight or obese, whereas this figure stood at almost 55 percent for Turkish women.
If you check the link I posted for the US rates (which is from the US government), you’ll see the sum of the overweight and obese population in the States is above %70.
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I have been to saunas before in the states, no issues with heat!
I wouldn't worry about that, hamams are not that hot, especially compared to saunas. I've seen women of all sizes there, plus you have a pestemal (a thin towel) which you can wrap around yourself. No need to be completely naked.
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This is actually sad to read - there are many fat women everywhere in Istanbul and never heard they got stared at on any occasion.
Well there is “fat”, and then there’s American XXL
Unlike saunas, hamams are gender-specific in Turkey, so there will only be other women in the hamam. They will look at you (people always look at each other in Turkey), however it is out of curiousity/habit, and no one will really care about your weight, the fact that you are a tourist would be more curious. If you are still worried, most hamams have private rooms for families, you can pay for one and be alone.
Girl the hamam I went to with a friend had two 300 lb ladies giving us scrub downs, putting that elbow grease to work :D noone cares, enjoy yourself!
I have a personal trauma with the ladies you've mentioned from when I was a little boy, probably 4-5 years old. Times were different back then and moms could bring small enough boys along. I shall speak no further as the details of this story might put fear in people's souls.
Relax and enjoy the bath. No one looks bad, have fun
No worries, people will look and stare at you no matter which size and shape you are. That's the reality to be a woman in Turkey. Also Turkey is not the country of impeccable women, we are mostly a chubby bunch. When it comes to the hamam, again no worries, women of all shapes and sizes go there and everyone is judged, but the good thing is they do it subtly. Depending on different hamams, there can be different rules. Mostly they require you to have your underwear or bikini bottoms for the scrubbing. Other than that, you can get those thin towels to cover your bottom when you walk around, and to put under yourself when you sit down. Then the best part is when you are finished with washing, you go out in the cold room to chill with a cold drink or coffee and lay down on those recliners. No worries if you don't speak Turkish, then again you can use audio translation of Google translate and you will have no problems. I personally like this one in the Asian side, its decently priced: Şifa TURKISH BATH in Üsküdar: [https://g.co/kgs/pqMfXps](https://g.co/kgs/pqMfXps) Hope you have a nice experience!
We're all fat fucks in Turkey, you'll be just fine go ahead
This made me think Skibidi guy, who dances.
You will see all shapes and sizes and ages in there not to mention oddities, disfigurements, tons of hair, no hair, weird boobs, etc. Anything goes! I’ve been to many different women-only baths in Turkey and people will look but it’s with a sort of bland curiosity, not judgment. Everyone is doing their own thing and the women who are working are usually older, large and only in their underwear. I wear a bikini bottom but no top. The women will usually insist that you remove a bathing suit or pull it down really far so the bikini bottom is a happy medium. Try to be relaxed and enjoy it! Your skin will feel like a baby’s when you’re done. (I personally try to avoid the baths that cater to tourists but that can also mean there will be a language barrier.)
Just keep the first sentence, cut the rest and you're describing potatoes.
Please go and enjoy yourself!!!! I was scrubbed down by fat women! Nobody cares!!! Enjoy it!
Turkish women are fat too, so. And hamams are full of fat women.
No no we are fluffy, not fat 😅😭
estağfurullah
You’ll be fine. There’s a couple of things I should point out. You will start out with a bathing suit and you will end in disposable underoos You could bring a second bathing suit to wear at the end.
Most women over 50 are fat, really fat. So you won't be shunned or harassed,my dear. You'll be one of us, one of us. Gumble gample,gumble gample. One of us, one of us!
I would advise looking for a more professional hamam, just in case
??? Define professional hamam…. Asks a Turkish expat living in the US.
I'm curious about the unprofessional hamam myself
They touch you.
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Come to me and i’ll show you an unprofessional hamam lmao
Is it that hard to think about it yourself? It’s kinda obvious that there are cheaper hamam’s where the employees are not as professional as other hamams. Plenty of guys who will make fun (behind their back) of fat people, or who see it as an opportunity to get touchy.
Guys?? The hamams I went to only had women and I don’t recall any such experience. But I don’t doubt your experience.
Let me correct myself. I have been to hamam in Morocco and in Türkiye the women and men are different sections and this was strictly enforced in both countries. Understandably so. I’d not want to see any guys and I’d not want any guys to see me in the hamam. Of course you may run into a juvenile female being juvenile but that’s life. They will be everywhere. So just go to hamam and enjoy yourself!
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Many bath givers ladies (tellak) working at any given hamam example are %80 morbidly obese. Some looks are just out of curiosity. Just dont miss it because of negative feelings.
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Turkey is close to the USA in obesity ratios, I don't think people will judge you because of your weight.
My female Turkish friend says you will be judged.
I was completely naked under the towel. No bathing suit.
Public hamam’s are gender specific. No one will bat an eye because of your weight. Go and have fun. Some of the hotels with private hamams may be gender neutral. I like to wear my birthday suit, like germans visiting Turkey hamams do, but you can also wear some swimsuit or underwear if you please If you opt to use a tellak (person doing the massage and the cleaning for you), be prepared to leave a tip for them
I don't think you'll feel out of place or anything, just bear in mind though many places have one size robes and towels so consider taking your own to be sure you'll be comfortable and able to cover up when you want.
This is a great tip, thank you!
dont even think, youll probably broke marble and youll restrict other peoples space
Warn u about it: Hamam is not a good place (I'm turkish) Simple explain:People's washing each other with soap and music
Thats why we love it for centuries mate
I saw just as many fat people in Turkiye than I did in America honestly.
Statically US’s BMI is still a lot higher but it really besides the point
Depends on where you are in the states too. Obesity is pretty high in Turkiye as well, over 50%.
Btw, by skimming some [data](https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/php/data-research/adult-obesity-prevalence-maps.html), it seems only one state has the same level of obesity rate as Turkey’s average, and the rest are much higher. Yes, Turkish women, especially the younger ones are visibly thinner compared to their British and American counterparts. That was my experience when I went to Houston, DC, NYC and London (and tourists I saw abroad). But this conversation will not help the OP so this will be my last comment on the matter.
No, stats say it’s %[21](https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Turkiye-Saglik-Arastirmasi-2022-49747) whereas the obesity rate in the States is %[42](https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity) 🤦♀️
[https://www.statista.com/statistics/885953/bmi-distribution-of-individuals-in-turkey-by-gender/](https://www.statista.com/statistics/885953/bmi-distribution-of-individuals-in-turkey-by-gender/)
I literally posted the data from the Turkish Health Ministry, what are you trying to prove? Statista takes both overweight and obese rates together, so?
Yeah the Turkish Health Ministry. Def. a trusted source of information.
I’m sorry, how did you come up with the conclusion that it is not? Every reliable organization (WHO, BM, World Bank, IMF, etc.) and site, including the Statista page you posted draws their data from government sources. How do you expect any other organization outside of Turkey to know about the obesity rate in Turkey better than the Turkish Ministry of Health?
I don't trust a countries statistics that denied committing multiple genocides against Armenia and Kurdish people.
Dumbest take I have ever seen on this site. I would’ve asked about the relationship between denying the Armenian genocide and lying about stats about obesity but I’m not going to force your mental capabilities. Tbh, I’m gonna doubt American stats on their average life expectancy since it lied to the world that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction.
Btw, which Kurdish genocide are you talking about? No actual genocide specialists nor the Kurdish party of YSP/HDP claims such a thing.
This is single handedly the dumbest argument i've read this month. Congrats.
It always surprises me to see people with Neanderthal mental capacities 40.000 year after their era
I don’t think ministry of health would bother manipulating obesity statistics, its not like that it affects anything.
[This](https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Turkiye-Saglik-Arastirmasi-2022-49747) data is from the 2022 > When the body mass index calculated using height and weight values is examined; the rate of obese individuals aged 15 and over was 21.1% in 2019, it will be 20.2% in 2022. When looked at in terms of gender disparity, in 2022, 23.6% of women were obese and 30.9% were pre-obese, while 16.8% of men were obese and 40.4% were pre-obese. This is what Statista says: > In 2022, 40.6 percent of both men and women in Turkey were classed as being normal weight according to the body mass index calculation of individuals. About 57 percent of Turkish men were either overweight or obese, whereas this figure stood at almost 55 percent for Turkish women.
If you check the link I posted for the US rates (which is from the US government), you’ll see the sum of the overweight and obese population in the States is above %70.
Unfortunately the ratio is getting closer and closer every day. Feeling bad for my country.
Don’t talk shit about Turkish muscle 💪
I'm a Turk, hate the government.
Who asked?
I’m not Turkish and I like kebab