From Cleopatra Bath to Hamam

Cleopatra Bath
The Egyptian ruler Cleopatra gave this bath its name. According to tradition, she is said to have bathed in donkey’s milk as part of her beauty regime. Today, cow’s milk is generally used for such baths, and other additives such as oils are also common. The term Cleopatra bath is also used today to describe applying undiluted milk or oils directly to the skin.

Fango Therapy
Fango is a hot, odourless mineral mud made from volcanic earth, which must be specially prepared before it is used as a mud pack. Organic substances are added during preparation. The body is wrapped in fango packs heated to around 50°C; the resulting dilation of the blood vessels speeds up circulation. The algae they contain also stimulate the body to produce pain-relieving substances.

The beneficial effect of heat is used to relieve rheumatic complaints and muscle tension. The mineral salts have a positive effect on the skin’s acid balance and may even help with psoriasis. The intense heat from fango packs can have adverse effects for people with high blood pressure or heart disease.

Colour Therapy
The effects of colour on health and the human body were used as far back as ancient Egyptian and Chinese cultures. In Germany, J. W. von Goethe studied the effects of colours on the human psyche.

Supporters of colour theory believe that the body has meridians for light, similar to those associated with the flow of energy in acupuncture. Different colours are believed to have different effects on human behaviour. A positive effect on the nervous system is often observed after a visit to a colour therapy studio. However, there are various, sometimes contradictory, theories about the effects of particular colours.

Foot Reflexology
This massage, which is intended to stimulate diseased areas and organs of the body, was practised in the ancient cultures of Egypt, India and China. The treatment is based on the idea that the soles of the feet contain so-called reflex pathways to other areas of the body, which can be activated through massage. It is believed that this can influence disorders in other organs.

Foot reflexology is based on principles similar to those of acupuncture. It is included in physiotherapy training and apparently can mobilise the body’s self-healing powers. Foot reflexology is not suitable for pregnant women or people with acute inflammation.

Hamam
A hamam is simply a Turkish-style bathhouse. The bathhouse tradition is passed down from generation to generation, especially in Turkey.

The first stop is the heated marble slab, which warms the body as the bather lies on it. Next comes the “sogukluk,” where the room temperature is around 30 to 40°C. In the steam room, the tellak, the Turkish bath attendant, gets to work: soaping up the bathers, massaging them vigorously and removing dead skin cells with a goatskin mitt. The temperature rises gradually throughout the ritual, helping to avoid overloading the circulatory system. Finally, in the relaxation room, the bather winds down after the roughly two-hour treatment in a soothing atmosphere. A hamam relaxes the body and calms the soul.

Photo: Rainer Höll