Suleymaniye Hamam TM
(Sinan the Architect - Since 1550)
Our Suleymaniye Hamam was designed and built between 1550 and 1557 by the famous Ottoman architect Sinan who designed over four hundred buildings during his lifetime, the hamam being one of his most famous works. Sinan was also the architect of, another famous Istanbul landmark, the Sulaymaniye Mosque. The hamam is over 471 years old and was a regular stop for the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman, and many sultans after him, where they had designated quarters.
Hamam Rules and Instructions
- You may take off your clothes, wrist watch, earring, necklace and place them in one of our private dressing room lockers.
- We provide women with a bikini and shorts and men with a bath towel (Peştemal).
- The key to your private dressing room will remain on your wrist at all times while you enjoy your Hamam experience.
- Please be aware that our Hamam caters exclusively to couples and serves both male and female clients simultaneously.
Hamam Experience in Three Steps
- You will start your journey through the hamam at the hot room. This is a necessary first step. In the hot room, you will lie on a warm marble slab in the center ( Göbektasi ) for about 35-40 minutes. This will allow your body to relax, sweat and release many toxins. The hot room is kept at a temperature ranging between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius. And 65 % - 72 % humidity . Please be cognizant of your own health;If you have any health conditions that might be aggravated by heat, Kindly inform us before entering the hamam.
- In the second step after your time on the marble slab, our specialized staff will call you by your hotel name and proceedto give you a full body exfoliation (peeling) followed by a soap massage and a whole body washing. Please note that all of the masseurs at the Suleymaniye Hamam are male.
- Finally, after you have thoroughly washed and changed your towels, you will move on to the cooling room where you can rest and relax. Enjoy your free soft drinks here.
Also, please note that:
- Payment is cash only.
- You can pay in Turkish Lira, Euro or Dollar
- There will be no refunds for reserved sessions.
- Tips for your masseurs are customary (usually 10 %) but not included in the base hamam fee.
You can take pictures or videos at lobby. But it is strictly not allowed to take pictures or videos at the hamam washing area.
History of Suleymaniye Hamam TM
(Sinan the Architect - Since 1550)
Suleymaniye Turkish Bath 1557 Suleiman the magnificent had this bath built in 1557. Being a part of great Kulliye of Suleymaniye, the architect of this bath is Mimar Sinan. There is a private lodge that belongs to Suleiman the Magnificent in this work which Mimar Sinan himself called it a work that belongs to his " assistant architect period. It is known also as Dokmeci Turkish Bath since it was located near the foundry (dökmeci) ateliers during the Ottoman period. Rumour has it that there was a " bowl of icterus " which was lost after being used for ages. According to belief, those who get washed with this bowl were cured. Suleymaniye Turkish Bath is one of the nicest baths of Istanbul with its domes and geometrically aligned chimneys. There are eight marble coloms surrounding the central massage stone. The bath that was closed in 1924 was renovated and recommenced serving in the year 2004.
Sinan The Architect
(1490 - 1588)
Mimar Sinan (Ottoman Turkish: معمار سينان, romanized: Mi`mâr Sinân, Turkish: Mimar Sinan, pronounced [miːˈmaːɾ siˈnan]) (c. 1488/1490 – July 17, 1588) also known as Koca Mi`mâr Sinân Âğâ, ("Sinan Agha the Grand Architect" or "Grand Sinan") was the chief Ottoman architect (Turkish: mimar) and civil engineer for sultans Suleiman the Magnificent, Selim II, and Murad III. He was responsible for the construction of more than 300 major structures and other more modest projects, such as schools. His apprentices would later design the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul and Stari Most in Mostar. The son of a stonemason, he received a technical education and became a military engineer. He rose rapidly through the ranks to become first an officer and finally a Janissary commander, with the honorific title of Sinan. He refined his architectural and engineering skills while on campaign with the Janissaries, becoming expert at constructing fortifications of all kinds, as well as military infrastructure projects, such as roads, bridges and aqueducts. At about the age of fifty, he was appointed as chief royal architect, applying the technical skills he had acquired in the army to the "creation of fine religious buildings" and civic structures of all kinds. He remained in this post for almost fifty years.
Works
His training as an army engineer gave Sinan an empirical approach to architecture rather than a theoretical one. But the same can be said of the great Western Renaissance architects, such as Brunelleschi and Michelangelo.
Various sources state that Sinan was the architect of at least 374 structures which included 92 mosques; 52 small mosques (mescit); 55 schools of theology (medrese); 7 schools for Koran reciters (darülkurra); 20 mausoleums (türbe); 17 public kitchens (imaret); 3 hospitals (darüşşifa); 6 aqueducts; 10 bridges; 20 caravanserais; 36 palaces and mansions; 8 vaults; and 48 baths. Sinan held the position of chief architect of the palace, which meant being the overseer of all construction work of the Ottoman Empire, for nearly 50 years, working with a large team of assistants consisting of architects and master builders.
The development and maturing stages of Sinan`s career can be illustrated by three major works. The first two of these are in Istanbul: the Şehzade Mosque, which he calls a work of his apprenticeship period and the Süleymaniye Mosque, which is the work of his qualification stage. The Selimiye Mosque in Edirne is the product of his master stage.
