Turkish Hammams have a fascinating history with origins coming from the continuation of Roman bathing in the Eastern Roman Empire, following the collapse of the Roman Empire. Hammam evolved over the centuries with middle eastern influence and expanded throughout the Islamic world, notably the North African coast from Egypt to Morocco, throughout the Levant and across Turkey with the Ottoman Empire.

Modern Hammams form part of a more diverse thermal journey and are usually a single dedicated steam room with loungers and a tap and bowl or hose for washing water following a scrub/exfoliation treatment. Whether you are looking for a single hammam treatment room or building a vast Turkish Baths as part of a commercial spa development, Cloud Nine Steam are here to help. Our expert team of designers will be able to work with you to design the facilities to suit your aesthetic preferences, usage requirements and budget. We boast a wide array of material options and hardware to cater to a whole range of tastes, from discreet, minimalist and modern, to colourful or distinctly middle eastern and Arabian.

Rasul, also known as rhassoul or rassul is a mud treatment experience with its true origins in Morocco (not the Arabian Peninsula as is sometimes cited). The treatment gains its name from the mud itself, called rhassoul, collected from the Atlas Mountains, rich in silica, iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium, lithium and other trace elements. Used as a cleansing treatment since the 8th century in Moroccan hammams, today it refers more generally to the mud treatment experience and will often have a dedicated treatment room within a spa or wellness facility.

Bespoke Rasul experience room installations are another specialism for Cloud Nine Steam. Whilst these rooms are generally less steamy than traditional steam rooms, the underlying principle is the same. With their origins coming from mud treatments in Hammams, our rassuls will typically have heated tiled benches, multiple kneipp hoses for cleaning, a large tap and basin and in some cases a heated application bowl. As with all our thermal experience rooms, rasul’s require sufficient drainage and ventilation, with high quality stainless steel or aluminum hardware being essential.

A caldarium is a hot plunge bath room that can be found in spas and wellness centres. It originates from ancient Greece and hot rooms in gymnasiums, called laconica. The Romans adopted the laconicum and developed it into the caldarium, which is an important part of the Roman bath experience and has been used for centuries to support health. 

The caldarium is heated using a variety of methods, but the most common is to use a hypocaust system. This system uses hot air to heat the walls, floor and benches in the room. The caldarium is typically hot and humid with temperatures between +40- 45°C. 

The history of the tepidarium dates back to Roman bathing culture, where it served as a room for lukewarm baths. It connected the hot caldarium and the cold frigidarium. Unlike traditional saunas with higher humidity, the tepidarium has a gentle heat and lower humidity, similar to normal body temperature. Today, it is used as a milder form of a traditional sauna, offering a relaxing experience that puts less strain on the cardiovascular system.

Tepidarium is a specially designed relaxation room that has a temperature between+35-40°C. Tepidarium derives from the Latin word “tepidus,” which means lukewarm. A tepidarium traditionally features stone, marble or ceramic tile surfaces and heated  loungers. The room is relatively dry with a humidity level of approximately 20%.

A frigidarium is a cold bath chamber in a Roman bath, and one of the three main bath chambers alongside the caldarium (hot bath) and the tepidarium (warm bath). The frigidarium is typically visited the last to cool down after the warm and hot baths. 

A frigidarium is often spacious and has pools or fountains with cold water. It also acts as an area to socialise. Nowadays, the frigidarium refers to cold plunge pools.