Turkish Forum

Tag: Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam

  • Istanbul’s Top Hamam Experience: 456-Year-Old Historical Hammam Re-Opened in Istanbul

    Istanbul’s Top Hamam Experience: 456-Year-Old Historical Hammam Re-Opened in Istanbul

    A majestic tribute to the art of bathing in the heart of Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet area, the Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam has hosted 15,000 visitors in its first year of operation. The hamam opened its doors last year after a three-year restoration and 455 years of history.

    ayasofya hamami

     

    A majestic tribute to the art of bathing in the heart of Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet area, the Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam has hosted 15,000 visitors in its first year of operation. The hamam opened its doors last year after a three-year restoration (that cost approximately $10 million) and 455 years of history.

    None of Istanbul’s many hamams are quite as magnificent as the Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam. Its historical location is incomparable and the bathing packages are the most luxurious in the city.

    It has steadily gained a place as one of the top attractions in Istanbul on Trip Advisor. One guest wrote: “This is a must do in Istanbul. Totally gorgeous, cool inside and plenty to photograph.”

    “The architecture is incredible. Incredible marble fountains. Brilliant tasseled chandeliers. It was huge, immaculate,” another guest remarked.

    The hamam languished for years after a checkered history including life as a prison, a storage facility and a carpet bazaar. It has been restored to its former glory with painstaking attention to the historical details.

    Located between two of Istanbul’s most celebrated sites, the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque, the hamam exudes a quiet confidence in its esteemed company.

    Sinan, the most renowned Ottoman architect, built the hamam in 1556 after Suleiman the Magnificent commissioned it for his beloved wife Hurrem Sultan.

    Known in Western history as Roxelana, Hurrem Sultan, was born in the Crown of Poland, today’s Ukraine. She was captured as a slave by the Crimean Tatars at the age of 14 and later presented to the Ottoman court.

    Hurrem soon caught the eye of Suleiman and her strong influence on him is well known. She became one of the only women to have officially married a sultan.

    Hurrem was also the mother to five of Suleiman’s children including his successor, Selim II.

    Historians believe many public buildings were commissioned in Hurrem’s name as part of her prolific charity work. However, none has more connection to her legend than the hamam which was believed to be built for her in her last years so people could pray for her return to health.

    For more information:

    Simin Atayman

    ATAYMAN PR

    +90 530 284 9504

    simin(at)ataymanpr(dot)com

    via Istanbul’s Top Hamam Experience: 456-Year-Old Historical Hammam Re-Opened in Istanbul.

  • High-End Hamam Opens in Historic Istanbul Location

    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.

    Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan HamamThe Ayasofya 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.