How depressing - I had always thought Budapest was the last bastion of the real
Turkish
bath experience. What is happening to the world?

David

--- In Yorkhall@..., "Chris" <chrisjbrady@y...> wrote:
>
> I have a distinct feeling that York Hall TUrkish Suite will go the
> same way as Rudos. Everyone is cashing in on the resurgent interest
> in expensive spa treatments at the expense of the old traditional
> style of turkish baths.
>
> =====================================
>
> A few weekends ago I went to Budapest to sample the famous 450 year
> old Turkish baths there. There are three main ones - Rudas, Rac and
> Kiraly. (Sorry for the lack of accented Hungarian spellings). As
> might be well known Hungary has recently joined the European
> Community and is now spending vast sums of Euros to upgrade its
> tourist facilities. Unfortunately this has meant that the
> atmospheric turkish baths - unchanged for centuries, and still with
> the patina of use by thousands of customers over the centuries - are
> now being gutted and modernised.
>
> Certainly the Rac Baths - the only building left in the now
> demolished Jewish quarter by the Castle - has now been so gutted
> that it resembles a bombed out shell. Gone are the locker rooms, the
> baths themselves, the steam rooms, the dry heat rooms, and
> everything else. The only thing that now circulates the windowless
> shell is the cold damp air blowing up from the frozen Danube. The
> Baths will now be turned into yet another clinical and
> sanitised 'spa' devoid of all ancient turkish history.
>
> Unfortunately the Rudas Baths have already been given this treatment
> over the last two years. I was there on the opening weekend. We
> queued for about 20 minutes - this was a popular re-opening. There
> were three security guards at the turnstyles. There was another
> outside. Security guards at a turkish baths?!!! The cashier couldn't
> understand my request in English for admission for swimming (in the
> 18'th baths) and to the turkish baths. It seems that modernising for
> the tourists does not mean learning English (or even having any
> signs in English). Eventually I was sold a credit card size plastic
> security pass, and was grudgingly allowed to pass through the first
> turnstyle after having my bag searched by a gruff looking security
> person. I was then directed to the turkish baths (what remains of
> them). There another turnstyle had to be negotiated. No towels or
> sheets were offered - luckily I'd brought my own. The changing rooms
> were all modernised cubicles just like at any municipal swimming
> pool. The cubicle staff were as aggressive as the reception staff.
> Each cubical door was locked from the inside by using the plastic
> card. This released a key from the outside to be kept tied to one's
> swimming costume. Ah - yes - swimming costumes were mandatory -
> everything was co-ed now. The ancient turkish baths that used to be
> for men only is now for families including screaming kids. Then I
> entered the turkish baths proper - and horror of horrors - the whole
> building had been gutted and rebuilt with garish red marble!!
> NOTHING remained of the original 450 year old baths except for the
> roof. EVERYTHING was brand spanking new. And GONE was the etheral
> and steamy atmosphere that had endured for so many centuries. Even
> the drinking fountains (taps) had been replaced by electronic
> proximity devices to turn the water on and off. Needless to say in
> the humid atmosphere these failed to work properly. The four pools
> of varying temperatures around the main pool had also received the
> dreaded red marble treatment. And believe me the newly cut marble
> edges were SHARP. Everything was bathed in bright light, and the
> coloured glass openings in the 450 year old domed roof had been
> removed. The dry heat rooms were tiny and now boasted plastic doors
> that didn't close properly. The steam rooms had been removed
> entirely. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT. Obviously this is how the Rac Baths
> were going to end up. But worse was to come. I wanted to get
> something to eat and drink - but nothing was available. To visit the
> Cafeteria I had to pass through the second turnstyle, and to do that
> I had to surrender the credit card pass. And - no - I couldn't re-
> enter the turkish baths. Feeling VERY upset I then decided to visit
> the 18'th c. smimming baths. But despite having paid for this with
> my credit card pass I was not allowed in. What an rip-off.
>
> I hear that the Gellert Hotel - dating from the late 1800s/early
> 1900s has also just had a refurbishment - so I hope that they
> haven't also gone for the red marble treatment too.
>
> Luckily the 450 year old Kiraly Turkish Baths nearby have yet to be
> refurbished. So do visit them before they too get a makeover for the
> tourists from the EEC.
>
> CJB.
>