The Historic Hamams in Istanbul
Cagaloglu Hamam Istanbul
The hamams or Turkish baths mushroomed in Istanbul during the 18th century. No doubt, the old tradition of the hamam is dying to a certain extent; however, they continue to hold a significant historical, cultural and architectural importance. Hamams are the special buildings in Istanbul that date back to the Byzantine and Roman periods.
Hamams also hold great significance in the social life of the people during the Ottoman era. Baths or hamams were considered to be central places of attraction during traditional ceremonies like weddings and other such occasions. During the Ottoman period, women spent entire day in the company of their friends in hamams not just bathing but singing, dancing and enjoying their time.
Baths held special meaning and importance for the brides. The brides went to a Turkish hamam with their friends and relatives as part of the wedding ceremonies. Not just women, even the men were brought to baths before joining their military service just for some fun and entertainment.
However, these days, hamams no longer serve the same purpose. Never the less, they do hold a special interest for any tourist visiting Istanbul. Some Turkish people still go to the hamams to know how the people during the Ottoman period took bath and it’s not just the locals but also some tourists who consider it must to go to any traditional bath. The most popular bath which registered nearly 100,000 visitors in the year 2008 is the Suleymaniye bath.
Each bath has a unique and different story related to it. A large number of the baths were built to offer monetary aid to some charity institutes. Built by the Ottoman dynasty rulers or their families, these baths boast of being unique pieces of architectural delight.
The Cagaloglu bath, one of the famous baths of the Ottoman period located near the Basilica Cistern, was built primarily to provide monetary aid to the mosque Aya Sofia. It is a unique bath built by Mahmut I in the baroque style. The Cagaloglu bath is the last bath built during the Ottoman period before the construction of the big baths was prohibited in the year 1768 due to large consumption of wood and water.
Yet another famous and historical bath of Istanbul is the Suleymaniye bath. Built by Mimar Sinan, the Suleymaniye bath was built along with the Suleymaniye Mosque in 1557. The cabin where Sultan Suleymaniye, the first person to take bath here, bathed adds special importance to this place and is a famous tourist attraction.
The two most important things to be done by any tourist visiting Istanbul is visiting a Turkish bath apart from eating a kebab, visiting Aya Sofya Museum and the Sultanahmet. No doubt, a number of traditional baths have been created in Turkey’s famous hotels. But, they cannot recreate the magic and the historical atmosphere of the hamams or the Turkish baths. The attendants known as tellaks are responsible for providing body message and bathing the customer. They are considered to be an integral part of the traditional Turkish baths.
- Cagaloglu Hamami Turkish Bath Sultanahmet Istanbul Turkey
Cagaloglu Hamam Istanbul
- Cagaloglu Hamami Turkish Bath Sultanahmet Istanbul Turkey