It's located
in Cagaloglu neighborhood near the Underground Cistern. The hammam was
built by an unknown architect in 1741 by the order of Sultan Mahmut I to
provide revenue for the library of Sultan Mahmut and the Aya Sofya (Hagia
Sophia) Mosque at that time.
The hammam has separate sections for both men and women. It combines
different Ottoman architectural styles and was the last of the great
hammams to be built in the city before their construction was forbidden
by Sultan Mustafa III in 1768, because of the increasing needs for water
and wood in Istanbul.
The door of the women's section is on a side street called Hamam street,
while the men's entrance is from the main road of Yerebatan street.
After entering, in the middle is a pool with a waterjet and dressing
rooms around. The domes are supported by arches and columns. After the
cold area (sogukluk), you enter in the hot area (sicaklik). There is a
marble platform (gobektasi) in the center, surrounded by bathing
cubicles (halvets) in all four corners.
It's open everyday between 08:00-22:00 for the men and between
08:00-20:00 for the women.
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