To truly experience the atmosphere of Istanbul, we recommend that you visit a traditional Turkish bath - a hamam.
One of the oldest sultans' hamams - Çemberlitaş - was built in 1584 for Nurbanu Sultan, the wife of Sultan Selim II. It is a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture and is still considered one of the best operating hamams.
The layout of its steam room is unique: from the outside the space seems square, inside it is circular, and twelve columns make it polygonal. The stone multifaceted heated platform is located in the center of the steam room and is illuminated by glass spheres built into the dome. And the marble benches and domes of the hamam have been preserved in their original form since the time it was built!
The hamam has a small capacity - 38 places in total, so there is almost always a line at the entrance. In the men's and women's sections, visitors are offered traditional Turkish hamam treatments - washing, exfoliation with a "kese", oil massage, and foam massage. And after all the treatments, once you've relaxed, you can unwind over a cup of tea or coffee.
Çemberlitaş Hamam is located in the historic center of Istanbul, not far from the Grand Bazaar - at the corner of Divanyoli and Vezir Hani streets.
