HAMMAM AND FUNCTIONS ON THE TRANSITIONS PERIOD OF LIFE

Abstract

Water, which is one of the basic sources of life for the livings, is also included in human life as a
cleaning/bathing culture in addition to food needs. There have been changes in the living standards
of every period depending on the cleaning culture of people and tradition of hammam in terms of
cleaning culture comes first. At every stage of life, the hammam comes up with different
applications and functions such as bathing, having fun and socializing. One of the phases where the
hammam tradition is carried out in different ways in life is the transition periods including birth,
marriage and death.
In this article, determination and classification of the hammam tradition applied in transition periods
in Turkey in addition to functions are underscored as a result of scanning the studies on the subject.
In the introduction part of the study, after brief information about the transitional periods and the
hammam tradition, hammam tradition practices in transitional periods are explained under the birth title forty (puerperium) hammams, circumcision hammams”, in the title of marriage, “liking girl
hammam, fifteen hammam, engagement hammam, henna hammam, seven hammam, foot-opening
hammam, bridal hammam, groom (groom) hammam”, and in the title of death “mourning
hammam”. In the rest of the study, the functions of hammams in transition periods are emphasized.
Thus, the place, applications and functions of the hammam in the transitional periods that constitute
the most important periods of human life are explained.