Turkey scrubs up its baths to keep hammam tradition alive

For centuries, hammams were central to Ottoman society, and while they mostly fell out of use with the advent of running water, many in Turkey are being restored to revive an ancient ritual bathing tradition.A mainstay of old Turkish films, hammam scenes were highly entertaining, a free space where women would socialise, eat, drink and even dance.Last year, Istanbul’s 500-year-old Zeyrek Cinili Hammam — built during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent by the celebrated Ottoman architect Sinan — reopened after a painstaking 13-year restoration. Alongside a functioning hammam, it also…