Cağaloğlu Hamamı
Cağaloğlu Hamamı is perhaps the most extraordinary of all Istanbul hammams. On a side street just off the Sultanahmet Square, a flight of stairs takes you down to a Baroque-style reception hall. The hammam was built in 1741 as a source of revenue for a big library founded by Sultan Mahmud I inside the Hagia Sophia. The library was part of an ambitious renovation project commissioned by the sultan to turn this grand Christian temple into an Islamic social complex -complete with a library, religious school and public soup kitchen.
What to expect from your hammam ritual?
At Cağaloğlu Hamamı, completely separate sections have been dedicated to men and women, where they are served by attendants of the same sex. Here, you are also offered spa-like aromatherapy massages following the classical hammam ritual. All guests are provided with a peshtemal (cotton loincloth), towels, single-use slippers, linden shampoo and pure olive oil soap. Cağaloğlu Hamamı also has a nice little corner, selling hammam equipment and ceramicware by notable local artists.
Amazing facts about Cağaloğlu Hamamı
- The construction of public hammams in Istanbul was banned in 1768, due to the scarcity of water and firewood the Ottoman capital had at the time. Cağaloğlu Hamamı marked the end of an era as the last big public hammam built during the Ottoman times.
- You can visit Cağaloğlu Hamamı not only for a good polish but also for an unforgettable feast. Lokanta 1741, a restaurant-bar serving traditional Turkish cuisine, welcomes guests in a labyrinthine dining hall and an open-air terrace at the historic courtyard of the hammam complex.
Note: Visitors who are in their first or last three months of pregnancy, who have heart diseases, diabetes, or asthma are not advised to use the bath. Children below the age of six are not allowed into the hammam.
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