A Historical Turkish Bath ''Çinili Hamam''

Last week I gave myself a day off...It was a great relaxing day infact...

After gym I went to Çinili Hamam...Last time I was in a local Turkish Bath in Konya when I went to visit Rumi and Sams in last January...It seems I really needed it...

As Wikipedia says;

A Turkish bath (Turkish: Hamam) is the Turkish variant of a steam bath, sauna or Russian Bath, distinguished by a focus on water, as opposed to ambient steam.

In Western Europe, the Turkish bath as a method of cleansing the body and relaxation was particularly popular during the Victorian era. The process involved in taking a Turkish bath is similar to that of a sauna, but is more closely related to ancient Greek and ancient Roman bathing practices.

A person taking a Turkish bath first relaxes in a room (known as the warm room) that is heated by a continuous flow of hot, dry air allowing the bather to perspire freely. Bathers may then move to an even hotter room (known as the hot room) before splashing themselves with cold water. After performing a full body wash and receiving a massage, bathers finally retire to the cooling-room for a period of relaxation.

A Turkish Bath Provided For Harem

The hamam combines the functionality and the structural elements of its predecessors in Anatolia, the Roman thermae and Byzantine baths, with the Central Asian Turkish tradition of steam bathing, ritual cleansing and respect of water.


Similar to its Roman predecessors, a typical hamam consists of three basic, interconnected rooms: the sıcaklık (or hararet -caldarium), which is the hot room; the warm room (tepidarium), which is the intermediate room; and the soğukluk, which is the cool room (frigidarium).

Some Turkish Hamam's located near by Bursa, Afyon etc have spring waters...The water consist some special minerals which supports and nourishes the health...

In old days all people used to go to local hamam regularly everyweek...Neighbours kids all together ...Great social event in the neighbourhood...We had our own bath at home constructed like a real hamam so we did not go that much...I remember few times only...

The Çinili Hamamı was built in 1640 as part of a mosque complex ordered by the Valide Sultan Mahpeyker Kösem, wife of Ahmet I (r. 1604-1617) and mother of Ibrahim I.

Kösem Sultan was one of the most powerful women of the Ottoman 17th century and gained unprecedented influence in political decision-making when acting as regent, which she did three times, for her son Murad IV, and her grandson Mehmed IV.

During the time the tiles had been stolen by the burglars. But Hamam’ s owners were sticked to its original concept as using blue tiles. Hamam has still its own charm.

The holes at the bottom of the dome provides sun light getting into the Hamam. In hot days; The lanterns is demounted and provided air to get into the intern area.

There are separate parts for both women and men...Even the entrance are different...I beleive the men part has more historical decoration...There was no unpleasant smell as you may experince in some hamams.

It was normal day and there were few ladies...There are 7 ladies working there...

If you like they do stroke (kese), bubble massage and oil massage...I got all...So I spoiled myself completely...

If you do not have your own kese you can buy from there...Nevertheless you need to take your towels, slipper, kese , washing fabric, comb, soap , shampoo , pumice ...They give you a stoup (you can bring yours ofcourse) and you can use the haid dryer...For oil massage they use their special oil made of 9 different flowers as they said...

Open each day of the week.The opening days are also including offical holidays and festivals. In case you are more than 20 people ,they do discount.

Their clients are mainly foreigners as they said...Tellak lady said '' Foreigners know its value more than Turkish people''...

You should have cold soft drink ''Çamlıca Gazoz'' after the bath...I listened a suggestion of a friend...Great releif!

I was so lucky so that the ladies were cooking ''helva'' made of semolina and pine nuts...They served it just from the stove, very hot...So good!

ÇİNİLİ HAMAM
Çavuşdere CAd. No 204 Üsküdar/İstanbul
Tel for Men Part 0216 553 15 93
Tel for Women Part 0216 334 97 10

TIMETABLE FOR BATH
For Men: 07.00 - 22.00
For Women: 08.00 - 19.30

The entrance for the hamam is TL 14...
20 min oil massage is TL 30...
You need to pay extras for stroke and bubble massage too...It was around TL 15 ...

There is a sauna too...If you like you can use it...

I beleive Turlish Bath is the healthiest way for body peeling...Without any chemicals and really its fun...

Surely if you have heart or blood pressure issues you need to talk to your doctor before...

Tellak ladies suggested to go a Turkish bath once in a month as minimum...

They also wellcome a traditional gathering...''Wedding Hamam''..

The bride and all her female friends and female family members go to hamam together...They take their food and music instruments and/or CD's ...After bathing they sing, dance and enjoy the party in soğukluk...

I never attened such event but I promised myself to attend a wedding hamam once in my life time...

Before hot days started , you may like to take a day off too!

with love