Gay spa in istanbul
Thanks to local laws against any sexual action in universal – or common venues – most venues in Istanbul do not need to be labelled as gay or even gay-friendly from fear for raid, reprisals or shutdowns by local authorities and instead engage the ‘three monkeys’ :”see nothing, listen nothing, speak nothing”.
While there are many busy saunas, gyms, and hamams (Turkish bath houses), you should realize this is a very traditional and cultural past time in Istanbul and trendy with both same-sex attracted and straight men.
Below we have listed the most trendy Istanbul gay hamam which are often frequented by male lover men – however, please practice discretion and care. To avoid any issues or disappointment, finest to go into the Istanbul bathhouse scene simply need to experience the history and tradition of the Turkish bath, and if more happens – so be it!
Due to the current political climate in Turkey, crackdowns, temporary and permanent closures of Istanbul same-sex attracted hamam and saunas are increa
It was a cold gray afternoon in Istanbul&#;s Çukurcuma neighborhood
famous for both its numerous antique shops and the setting for Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk&#;s novel and namesake Museum of Innocence. I came to Çukurcuma to visit the Museum, only to comprehend that it was closed because it was Monday.
So I decided to hike down the steep thin streets of the neighborhood and see what I could find. I passed shop after shop of antique stores, some of them shuttered behind rusty doors, others hemorrhaging hand-crafted chairs, dusty crystalware, and other items that could be found in your grandmother&#;s living room.
Woodsmoke puffed out of a nearby chimney, wafting seamlessly into the sky above. I walked by a little tearoom with low chairs and tables, their patrons drinking from short glasses filled with saccharine amber tea.
At the end of the street was a hammam&#;a Turkish bath. It was chilly and I wanted to warm up, so I stepped in without any hesitation. The lobby was a straightforward wood-paneled room; a childish man with a brief beard sat at the desk. I paid roughly $15 for a intimate &#;
Gay Istanbul
You'll probably be surprised to find a somewhat active gay scene in Istanbul. Despite the mighty influence of Islam, homosexuality is legal in Turkey and the age of consent is Western tourists may have contributed to a growing tolerance or maybe the country simply wants to be more European (and eventually standard into the European Union). Gay Pride took place for the first day in Istanbul in and gay activists continue to fight for equal rights in the country.
It is important that you be very discreet in public and know exactly where to go. It’s actually common for direct men to sleep with transgender women and transvestites, but the bars catering to that can be dangerous and should be avoided. Also note that sex between men is not possible at a hammam. Stick to the following spots:
Gay Bars
Chianti Café Pub
A café in the afternoon and a bar at bedtime, this is a rendezvous place for the homosexual community. It hosts karaoke nights and guest DJs.
Facebook Page: chianticafepup
Dance Clubs
Love Dancepoint
This stylish club is one of the most popular among the
Five Hammams in 24 Hours
A waterlogged Canadian takes a very specific tour of Istanbul.
I spent five days in Turkey a limited weeks before the referendum, wandering through the city under posters and massive banners of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. But at the time, I wasn’t focused on politics: I was interested in the hammams, or Turkish baths.
The history of public baths in the West stretches at least as far back as the Spartans, who first used fiery stones and then coal fires to turn the practice of leaping into ice-cold water into something a little more luxurious. Like so many Greek innovations, the Romans tweaked and expanded and perfected the practice. Thermae, as the bathing was recognizable, were a secular ritual the remained at the heart of Roman culture for a thousand years.
Nowhere has that tradition survived more than in Turkey. In Istanbul, in particular, the custom of bathing blended with the grand Roman and then Ottoman tradition of great people building public works and wudu, the Islamic practice of washing before prayer, created marvelous public baths that were not only