Old Historical Bath

Old Historical Bath

The Old Hamam was built towards the end of the 15th century for the purpose of generating revenue in order to support the Ruh Mehmet Paşa Mosque in Üsküdar. The men’s section is located on Doğancılar Street and the women’s section is located next to the Hüsrev Ağa Mosque. It has also been known as the Historical Şifa Hamamı (Historical Cure Bath) and is a remarkable structure whose original shape has been protected through the ages. One enters into the men’s section of the historical bath through a hall covered with marble pavement. The hall leads to the Camekan, a court made of wood surrounded by small individual changing rooms. In addition to the changing rooms located on the left side, there are changing rooms upstairs. In the entry of the Halvet, a very hot bathing cubicle within the bathing complex, there are two water vessels made of marbel. On the oppside side of the halvet are seven shower baths, three of which are open and are internally covered by a half-domed vault, and four of which are covered with a full-domed vault. Furthermore, the bath is covered by a large dome as well as a modest navel stone (göbek taşı) which draws the attention of visitors under the dome of the Old Hamam. We have learned from an advertisement published in a newspaper in September 12, 1860 that the Historical bath was transfered to a single owner, and from another source, it we learn that it was also renovated. This bath is not in contradiction with Ottoman Architectural style. In particular, it has been serving for visitors, the great majority of whom are Turkish citizens.

Historical Cağaloğlu Bath

Historical Cağaloğlu Bath

This historical bath located in the Cağaloğlu neighborhood near the Underground Cistern. A plan for the bath was designed by Süleyman Ağa, one of the palace architechs, by order of Sultan Mahmut I in order to provide revenue for both his library and the Ayasofya Mosque (Hagia Sophia). It was then built by Abdullah Ağa in 1741. Before its construction, the palace built by Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Paşa stood on its location. The palace was destroyed by a fire in 1740, and the Cağaloğlu Bath was erected on its site. Essentially, the bath consists of two sections, a men’s section and ladies’ section. The entrance door of the ladies’ section is located on a side street called Hamam Street, and the men’s section is found on the main road . Several architectural innovations are found in the bath’s design which draws the attention of its visitors who have never seen a combination of Baroque and Classical Ottoman style architecture. It is also the last of the great hamams built in the city during the Ottoman era. The Camekan of Cağaoğlu Hamam, a court surrounded by small individual changing rooms, is covered by a wide dome. There are changing rooms which surround the Camekan which are built on consolidated beams. In the middle of the Hamam, there is a wide pool that is made of a massive marble block, and in the middle of the pool, there is a splendid fountain. The wide dome in the lukewarm section (ılıklık) is raised upon four marble columns and seven cradle-shaped domes that form the roof of the structure which extends from the lukewarm section into the harare (hot section). The hot section, raised upon eight embroidered columns, is covered by a wide dome that dazzles with its grandeur. The Cağaloğlu Hamam has been in service for two hundred seventy-six years. Today, it is still in operation, and the vast majority of its visitors are foreign tourists.

Historical Galatasaray Bath

Historical Galatasaray Bath

The Galatasaray Hamam was built by Bayezit II in 1481 with the Galatasaray Külliyesi (complex of buildings adjacent to a mosque). It is located in the Galatasaray neighborhood of the Beyoğlu district, at the junction of Turnacıbaşı and Çapanoğlu streets in Istanbul. Although it has been said that the present Galatasaray Market was built during the reconstruction of Galatasaray Devshirme Recruits and the Palace School (Galatasaray İçoğlanları Kışlası) during the rule of Sultan Ahmet III,  some researchers have claimed that this is a baseless rumor. Instead, they support the argument that the Hamam was a part of Galatasaray Külliye . When it was restored in 1965, the dressing room was made of concrete blocks, a fountain was placed in the middle, a section of the hamam wall was covered with tile, and also a small women’s section was added. One enteres the cold room (soğukluk) from the dressing room. There are rubbing places (keselik) consisting of seven basins. One enters the hot room (harare),which is covered by large domes, from the cold room. In the hot room there is a navel stone (göbek taşı). On both sides of the door, there are two "halvets" (a very hot bathing cubicle in the bath) that are roofed by a dome. In addition, there are six sofas (a long room, onto which a number of rooms open) which contain more than 15 kurnas (a marble basin under a tap in a Turkish bath) of various sizes. The Galatasaray Hamam has made it to our times through continuous maintenance and restoration. It has been consistently serving domestic and foreign visitors.