March 1717: Turkish
baths for the shy
In 1717, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was travelling with her
husband to Constantinoplae when she visited a bath house in Sofia. Then part of
the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria had taken enthusiastically to the concept of the
Turkish bath, in stout British fashion, however, Lady Mary refused to take off
her clothes. Her companions took it in their stride, assuming merely that she
had been locked in them by her husband as an ingenious method of preserving her
chastity. Complied by Fergus Fleming
I WAS IN MY TRAVELLING DRESS, WHICH IS A RIDING dress, and
certainly seemed very extraordinary to them. Yet there was not one of them that
showed the least surprise or impertinent curiosity, but received me with all
the obliging civility possible. I know no European curt where the ladies would
have behaved themselves in so polite a manner to a stranger. I believe, in the
whole, there were two hundred women, and yet none of those disdainful smiles or
satirical whispers that never fail in our assemblies when anybody appears that
is not dressed exactly in fashion. They repeated over and over to me: ‘Guzelle,
pek gazelle,’ which is nothing but ‘charming, very charming.’ The first sofas
were covered with cushions and rich carpets, on which sat the ladies, and on
the second their slaves behind them, but without any distinction of rank by
their dress, all being in the state of nature, that is, in plain English, stark
naked, without any beauty or defect concealed. Yet there was not the least
wanton smile or immodest gesture among them. […]
I was here convinced of the truth of a reflection I had often made, that if it was the fashion
to naked, th face would be hardly observed. I perceived that the ladies with
finest skins and most delicate shapes had the greatest share of my admiration,
though their faces were sometimes less beautiful than those of their
companions. To tell you the truth. I had wickedness enough to wish secretly
that Mr Gervase [ a society painter] could have been there invisible. I fancy
it would have every much improved his art to see so many fine women naked, in
different postures, some in conversation, some working, others drinking coffee
or sherbert, and many negligently lying on their cushions while their slaves
(generally pretty girls of seventeen or eighteen) were employed in braiding
their hair in several pretty manners.
In short, ‘tis the women’s coffee house, where all the news
of the town is told, scandal invented etc. they generally take this diversion
once a week and stay there at least four of five hours, without getting cold by
immediate coming out of th hot bath into the cool room. Which was very
surprising to me. The lady that seemed the most considerable amongst them
entreated me to sit by her and would fain have undressed me for the bath. I
excused myself with some difficulty, they being however all so earnest in
persuading me. I was at last forced to open my shirt and show them my stays,
which satisfied them very well, for I saw they believed I was so locked up in that machine, that it was not
in my power to open it, which contrivance they attributed to my husband. I was
charmed with their civility and beauty, and should have been very glad to pass
more time with them, but Mr Wortley resolving to pursue his journey the next
morning early I was in haste to see ther ruins of Justinian’s church, which did
ot afford me so agreeable a prospect as I had left, being little more than a
heap of stones.
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu-The Complete Letters, Vol 1: 1708-20 (Oxford University Press,
1965).
