Arasan Baths: Ritual of Steam & Renewal

The Arasan Baths are temple of wellness in central Almaty. Built in grand Soviet style, its marble halls, mosaics, and domes create atmosphere of ritual. Inside, saunas and steam rooms glow with heat, visitors following cycle unchanged for centuries: steam, plunge, rest, repeat. Temperatures rise in Russian banyas, Turkish hammams, Finnish saunas. Between, plunge pools shock body, reviving mind. Between cycles, visitors recline on marble, sip tea, share quiet conversation. The experience is social yet personal, physical yet spiritual. Generations gather — elders, students, travelers — all equal in steam. It is place of cleansing, of pause, of renewal. Arasan embodies Almaty’s rhythm: blending tradition and community, ritual and modern wellness.