Thanks for sharing! I really enjoyed reading this--the visual of the banya! I savored my hamam experience in Istanbul. Bathhouses really were about casual community weren't they, distinctly informal compared to say religious/sacred spaces.
Thank you so much for reading and for the kind word. Yes! There’s also much to be said about what gets deemed as a private business vs non-profit. Most religious/sacred spaces have non-profit status and most bathhouses are privatized. Public pools have seemed to be a good solution for public wellness third spaces, but they don’t have the same sacred feeling of a bathhouse.
Great article. I think the simple fact that people can't have their phones in the saunas/pools make bathhouses such a unique way to drop in deep with people. Fascinating to see what was usually a rather self-directed and freeform experience become guided and regimented with Othership.
Thanks for sharing! I really enjoyed reading this--the visual of the banya! I savored my hamam experience in Istanbul. Bathhouses really were about casual community weren't they, distinctly informal compared to say religious/sacred spaces.
Thank you so much for reading and for the kind word. Yes! There’s also much to be said about what gets deemed as a private business vs non-profit. Most religious/sacred spaces have non-profit status and most bathhouses are privatized. Public pools have seemed to be a good solution for public wellness third spaces, but they don’t have the same sacred feeling of a bathhouse.
Great article. I think the simple fact that people can't have their phones in the saunas/pools make bathhouses such a unique way to drop in deep with people. Fascinating to see what was usually a rather self-directed and freeform experience become guided and regimented with Othership.