High-End Hamam Opens in Historic Istanbul Location

By SUSANNE FOWLER

The Aya Sofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam in Istanbul recently went through a $10 million restoration.Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan HamamThe Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam in Istanbul recently went through a $10 million restoration.

For years the domed structure between the Aya Sofia (Hagia Sophia) and the Blue Mosque was used as a state-run carpet shop. Kilims and halis were strewn every which way across marble navel stones under huge domes that let shafts of light illuminate the structure built in 1556 by the famed architect Sinan to house the baths of Roxelana, known locally as Hurrem. (Hurrem was the slave who became the powerful wife of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.) Now, thanks to a $10 million restoration, the marble-clad space is once again a Turkish bath house, with separate facilities for men and women.

There are far less expensive hamams in Istanbul, like the neighborhood facility on the Asian side, recently enjoyed by the Frugal Traveler, or the popular Cemberlitas near the Grand Bazaar. But the new Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam (Cankurtaran Mah. Bab-ı Hümayün Cad. No.1; 90-212-517-35-35) will appeal to anyone who is turned off by the musty odors and coarse towels often found elsewhere.

At the Sultan Hamam, the changing rooms, steaming alcoves and scrubbing areas are spotless, with pleasant aromatherapy vapors wafting overhead. And instead of partially nude attendants, the workers here are covered: the women wear nifty turquoise halter tops and matching wrap skirts that evoke traditional pestemels, or Turkish bath towels. The quality and length of the exfoliation, soap-suds scrub, shampoo and massage are excellent, although there is no opportunity afterward to lounge about on the central slab to let the heat sink deeper into one’s muscles.

After the basic service (for an “introductory’’ price of 70 euros, about $100, tip included), clients are wrapped in luxurious terrycloth bath sheets and led to a relaxation lounge where they are offered tall glasses of iced cucumber water or a sweetened tamarind or blackberry “sherbet’’ drink.

Other, pricier, treatment options include a bridal service with a full-body clay mask and a henna party for the bride’s girlfriends and a new-mother-and-child bath incorporating 41 different spices.

via High-End Hamam Opens in Historic Istanbul Location – NYTimes.com.