Hammams


			HAMMAMS The grand baths of Istanbul Nowhere does the golden age of Ottoman life survive more vividly, and enjoyably, than in the hammam. Architecture, etiquette, gossip and sheer pleasure - keyif- are the essential ingredients. In the 16th century there were as many as 150 hammams in the marketplaces of Istanbul. Today there are far fewer, but the culture miraculously lives on.

The Great Baths of Istanbul The Queen Mother's baths Splendid Renaissance baths still flourish at the entrance to Istanbul's Grand Bazaar. Built for the mother of Sultan Murad III, the all-powerful Nurbanu, and opened in 1584, today the Cemberlitas Hammam is the liveliest of Istanbul's grand baths, and the perfect place to start. The hand of the great Renaissance architect Sinan is evident in the gently pointed arches, lace-like carving and classical elegance
Barbarossa's baths Another masterpiece of the imperial architect Sinan, the Cinili Hammam in the Old City was built for the legendary corsair-turned-admiral Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha, or Barbarossa, in the 1540s. Today it is far from grand, and only a few of the tiles that gave it the name Cinili (tiles) are still in evidence. But nothing can diminish the effect of the soaring curvy arches supporting a series of imposing domes. Plastic bowls may have replaced copper ones and the walls may have seen better days, but Sinan's geometry remains a triumph.
Galatasaray Hammam Built in 1715 to serve a palace school, the Galatasaray Hammam, in the heartof the European quarter, has always catered to a better class of bather. Trainee diplomats steamed there, and stranded gentlemen whiled away the night. Then in the Sixties it was given a makeover and became the haunt of celebrities and spies. Today it retains its air of glamour and exclusivity The hot room: the heated marble platform or gobektasi
Dome of Baroque When it was built in 1741 in the new Baroque style, Cagaloglu was at the forefront of architectural fashion. But this temple of cleanliness in the Old City marks the dramatic swansong of the grand Ottoman hammam. The corner chambers are demarcated by doorways capped with scrolling arches				Turkish Baths, a guide by Orhan Yilmazkaya

Bath paraphernalia Hammam accessories are a vital part of the ritual of bathing. The best collections are in Istanbul at the Sadberk Hanim Museum and at the Topkapi which held a large hammam exhibition in 2006 Hammam essentials: silver bowl, hair wrap and scented soap				More baths in Istanbul and in Bursa