Golden hour in Istanbul, and the sublime light of the precious moments before sunset filters through the round windows at the Cinili Hammam, tucked into a quiet side street in the Uskudar district on the Bosphorus Strait's Asian shore.
The bathhouse has washed off the grime of Istanbul since 1640, when it was built as part of a complex containing a library and a mosque in the city's Ottoman heyday.
Inside, a wide octagonal slab of marble known as the gobektasi – meaning, “belly stone” – sits between chunky water basins topped with ornate copper taps. Steam fills the air, as a large woman vigorously scrubs another’s back with an exfoliation mitt called a “kese”. In the reception room outside – the “cold room” in hammam culture – tiles decorated with blue and red tulips line the walls as a round light fitted with bulbous lamps sits like a headdress over the room.
The former empire took public health seriously and while bathhouses have a history that long preceded it, the hammam ritual gained prominence under the sultans. “The Ottoman bathing culture encouraged cleanliness through regular ‘deep cleans’ of the skin," writes author Diana Darke in her book The Ottomans: A Cultural Legacy.
"Istanbul was said to have boasted some 1,400 public toilets at the empire’s height, at a time when such things were still a rarity in European cities and many Christian Europeans believed it was purer not to bathe at all".
Bathhouses have historically been places to socialise, gossip, look for possible partners for family members, and, of course, keep clean. “There are many rituals occurring in hammams," says a Turkish architect involved in the restoration of one of Istanbul’s most exquisite bath houses in the city’s historic Fatih district, who asked not be named.
"Mothers look for brides for their sons, the bride bathes before the wedding, women have post-partum baths ... also don’t forget in hammams, you can eat, drink, smoke and rest as well.”
Surviving soaring inflation
Many of Istanbul’s historic hammams have been superbly restored, preserving their tiling, fountains and muqarnas – a decorative architectural feature that forms a honeycomb-like pattern in the brickwork. They are extraordinary parts of the city’s heritage. But the cost of services in some of them – often more than $80 for a basic wash and scrub – mean they are out of reach of most in Turkey, where the minimum wage is 17,000 liras a month (just under $500).
Today, Cinili Hammam is one of the few left in the city of 16 million people that still serves the local community at affordable prices. It charges 600 Turkish liras for a deep scrub, a wash and a massage.
Most of the hammams “have become aimed at tourists,” said Emine Ucar, who inherited the Cinili Hammam from her father in 1964. “We cater to the general public here. We have a very decent selection of customers. People come to us from all over – from nearby and faraway.”
Just down the road, beside a spare car parts shop on “Old Topstone street,” sits Valide-i Atik Hamam, which was built in 1529. It serves everyone from tourists to local labourers, says manager Teslime Ucar.
“Customers from all walks of life come here. State employees, labourers, doctors, teachers, housewives, tourists,” she told The National. Teslime says they attract a large number of tourists even for whom the prices of other hammams have become excessive.
“Our prices are reasonable. There are hammams that are really expensive. Foreigners say the [other hammams] charge us too much."
Valide-i Atik Hamam charges a reasonable 400 lira for its services. "They [other hammams] hike the prices because they are tourists. Here, we display our prices and we charge the same for Turks and tourists,” she explains, pointing to a paper list hanging on the wall.
Although the vast majority of homes in Istanbul today are fitted with water systems heated using natural gas, the hammam owners say that customers still use the public bathhouses, where water is heated by burning wood chips or logs, because they offer the chance for a really good sweat and scrub by a mitt-wielding “keseci” – scrubber – that just cannot be recreated at home.
“The thing is, there's usually no such thing as a scrub in home bathrooms when there is only one person,” says Ms Ucar of the Cinili Hammam.
Gulseren, a customer in the Cinili Hammam, agrees. She says: “The main reason for coming to the hammam is a detox,” as she sits wrapped in a pale blue pestemal – a traditional thin cotton towel. “The skin is rejuvenated when it’s scrubbed, your circulation speeds up, and the warmth treats muscle spasms. Hammams are also more affordable than spas.”
The Turkish architect points out that there are a range of hammams in Istanbul at all price points, and those that charge more are offering the chance to see architecture designed by some of the Ottoman Empire’s most famous craftsmen.
“If you invest millions of euros to resurrect the building, offer a high service quality, top standard goods and the opportunity to experience a 16th century building of a well-known Ottoman architect’s hammam, then you may demand a reasonable high price for this service,” he says. “I hope other expensive hammams have similar qualities and are not tourist traps.”
Even with her lower prices, Emine admits that Turkey’s current economic crisis has impacted the number of customer frequenting hammams. Inflation is currently running at 50 per cent and purchasing power has shrunk across the country. But she still gets a decent number of bathers on the gobektasi.
“You never know how many customers will come. Today 10 people could come, and tomorrow it will be 30,” she says.
Groups of between 10-15 women come before weddings in a traditional prenuptial ritual.
“The young women come and have fun the old fashioned way,” she says with a smile.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m, Winner: Zalman, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hisham Al Khalediah II, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Qader, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly
8pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner: Nayslayer, Bernardo Pinheiro, Jaber Ramadhan
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
The years Ramadan fell in May
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Stage 2 results
1 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 04:18:18
2 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:02
3 Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:04
4 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates
5 Rick Zabel (GER) Israel Start-Up Nation
General Classification
1 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 07:47:19
2 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:12
3 Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:16
4 Nikolai Cherkasov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:17
5 Alexey Lutsensko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 00:00:19
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RESULTS
Bantamweight title:
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) bt Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
(KO round 2)
Catchweight 68kg:
Sean Soriano (USA) bt Noad Lahat (ISR)
(TKO round 1)
Middleweight:
Denis Tiuliulin (RUS) bt Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
(TKO round 1)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) bt Joachim Tollefsen (DEN)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 68kg:
Austin Arnett (USA) bt Daniel Vega (MEX)
(TKO round 3)
Lightweight:
Carrington Banks (USA) bt Marcio Andrade (BRA)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 58kg:
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) bt Malin Hermansson (SWE)
(Submission round 2)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (CAN) bt Juares Dea (CMR)
(Split decision)
Middleweight:
Mohamad Osseili (LEB) bt Ivan Slynko (UKR)
(TKO round 1)
Featherweight:
Tarun Grigoryan (ARM) bt Islam Makhamadjanov (UZB)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 54kg:
Mariagiovanna Vai (ITA) bt Daniella Shutov (ISR)
(Submission round 1)
Middleweight:
Joan Arastey (ESP) bt Omran Chaaban (LEB)
(Unanimous decision)
Welterweight:
Bruno Carvalho (POR) bt Souhil Tahiri (ALG)
(TKO)
The years Ramadan fell in May
The%20specs
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The five pillars of Islam
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
Kill%20
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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Company%C2%A0profile
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
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if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World by Michael Ignatieff
Harvard University Press
'Ashkal'
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
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