After undressing in the dressing room area, you will wrap your body in a peştamal, a traditional cotton body wrap. After locking all your belongings in the locker provided (remembering to keep the key with you at all times), you will pass into the hot area that includes the heated marble platform in the center. This area, called the sıcaklık, consists of the large, hot marble platform which is surrounded by bathing basins (kurna) and private bathing cubicles (halvet).

You should first get your body to perspire, either by lying or sitting on the hot marble or pouring hot water on your body by sitting next to one of the basins. If you have chosen the second option, your attendant will give you an exfoliating scrub and a bubble wash as you lie on the hot platform. You will then move to one of the basins and the attendant will wash you there.

Then if you prefer, you may remain lying on the platform to perspire more and relax, and then when you wish, you may move to one of the basins to wash your body. The scrub and bubble wash by the attendant lasts for approximately fifteen minutes, while the whole bathing process of resting, perspiring and washing takes about one to one and a half hours, but there is never a time limit.

If you have chosen the self-service option at the entrance, you will perspire and relax on the hot platform and then wash yourself at one of the basins. When you feel ready to leave the bath, you will be given towels to dry your body. After leaving the bath, you may sit and relax in the cooler area of the hamam, perhaps enjoying a drink as well.

Self-service-45 tl: You can stay inside the bath as long as you wish and after perspiring you can scrub and wash yourself using the taps around the hot marble or inside one of the rooms.

Traditional style-69 tl: After lying down on the hot marble platform and perspiring for a while, one of the attendants will scrub your body and give you a bubble wash (approx. 15 mins). This scrubbing and bubble wash take off the dead skin from your body thus helping your skin breathe, cleaning your pores and also regulating the blood circulation. After the scrubbing, your attendant will wash you in one of the rooms around the central marble platform.

Aromatherapy oil massage-48 tl: Using herbal-based natural oil, this relaxing, refreshing, whole-body massage helps in releasing the pain and discomfort caused by stress. The aromatherapy oils with their nice smell help in the relaxation while intensifying the effects of the massage as well. It lasts for 30 minutes.

Reflexology-48 tl: Based on acupuncture, this massage is performed by stimulating the reflex points of the foot, this way sending electrochemical messages by neurons to the different body organs connected to each of these points. It has positive effects on the blood circulation and all the body organs. The massage lasts for 30 minutes.

Indian head massage-48 tl: Applied to the areas of the back, shoulders, neck, head and face. It is beneficial for releasing pain and muscle tensions in the back and neck regions, reducing stress and eliminating headaches related to stress. The massage lasts for 30 minutes.

Facial clay mask-15 tl: The natural clay applied to the facial and neck regions helps removing dirt and excess oil from the skin, balances the moisture of the skin, and also helps in cleansing and tightening the clogged pores.

The Çemberlitas Bath is located on Çemberlitas Square on Divanyolu Street situated in the midst of some of Istanbul’s greatest monuments. It is next to the Vezirhan monument erected by Constantine I (324 – 327). The Köprülü Mahmud Pasa complex with its mosque, school and tombs are directly opposite the bath and at its sides are the Vezir Han and the old university building. Also in the near vicinity of the bath are the tomb of Sultan Mahmut II and its treasury, the Köprülü Library, the Atik Pasa Mosque and school and the tomb of Ali Baba.

The bath was established by Nurbanu Sultan, wife of Selim II and mother of Murat III, for the purpose of bringing in revenue to support the Valide-i Atik Charity Complex in Toptasi, Üsküdar. According to the Tuhfet’ül-mi’mârin (1), the bath is one of the structures built by the architect Sinan, in 1584.

The Çemberlitas Hamam was planned as a double bath consisting of two identical, side-by-side facilities. The entrance for the men’s section is on Vezir Han Street and, because the road height has increased over time, it now has a deep entrance that is ten steps below street level. There are eaves over the entrance and on top of the entrance door there is an inscription with six lines in three columns. In the past the entrance for the women’s section must have been from the Divanyolu Street adjacent to the tomb of Sultan Mahmut, but today women also use the men’s entrance and proceed to their own section through a side door. Part of the dressing room in the women’s section was lost when the Divanyolu street was widened in 1868. The side that was cut off was closed with a wall that has rectangular windows on the bottom and star shaped ones at the top. The dressing room areas of the men and women’s sections are both roofed with large domes. There are three tiers of dressing rooms under these domes that were in the past both illuminated with windowed, dome- top cupolas called ‘roof lanterns.’ Today only the lantern in the women’s section remains in its original state. The dome topped by this lantern rests on arches leaning on fine columns and is elegantly decorated. Today the men’s dressing room area, called the ‘cold area,’ is a quiet and restful area used as a resting and waiting place after the bath.

Each of the warm areas of the bath are roofed by three domes. The toilets are reached from this area and have been built as extensions from the building proper. One enters the hot, bathing area from this transitional warm area through a wooden door in the area built under the middle dome. The plan of this hot area is unique as it does not entirely conform to traditional layouts for this bathing area. This can be explained with the fact that the architect Sinan both liked to innovate in his work, and also to the fact that Sinan was closely involved with the construction of the structure. This space is shaped like a square on the outside, but the inner dimensions are in the shape of a circle formed of twelve columns, becoming a twelve-cornered polygon. The architect beautifully situated the domed, private bathing cubicles, the halvet, in the space made up of the four outer corners outside of the polygon. Four antechambers are between the cubicle spaces. One enters the hot section by passing through these antechambers. The large dome covering the hot section is supported by high arches on top of columns with baklava shaped heads. The cubicles are separated from the main area by marble slab walls topped by tulip shapes. These dividers have inscriptions carved into each side. The private cubicles are entered through arched doorways at their front sides. Couplets are inscribed on the front and the triangular shaped upper elements are covered with blossoms. The bath has 38 washing stalls. The multi-faceted central stone platform is directly beneath the wide dome. This broad heated platform is illuminated by the glass globe ‘elephant eyes’ fitted into the overhead dome that catch the light from all directions. This building dates to Sinan’s last period, one in which his long experience and great skill allowed him to combine functionality, elegance and tranquillity without abandoning his basic style that is devoid of overly decorated elements. For these reasons the architecture of his bath remains a focal point for Turkish and foreign researchers, universities, photographers, filmmakers, media professionals and students.

Onur Yalçin, Architect / Restorer

Ali Dereli, Architect / Restorer

(1) The Tuhfet-ül Mi’marin was most probably written by Sai Mustafa Çelebi. A narrative style reporting Sinan’s words directly was employed. The document resembles a rough draft which has not been edited. There is a section on Sinan’s life which includes a detailed list of his structures. It is kept by the Topkapi Palace Library (Yazma #1461 / 4) as a singular copy. It was published as an unabridged text.