Baths are very special buildings of Istanbul dating back to Roman and Byzantine periods. Apart from its natural aim, baths have played an important role in social life of the Ottoman period. At weddings and Bayrams baths were places of attraction for ceremonies and traditional entertainment.Women with neighbours and friends spent all the day at baths and turned the day to a festivity; singing and dancing. Although baths have lost these social attractions, they still have succeeded to become points of interest especially for visitors of Istanbul.
Cağaloğlu Hamamı was built about 300 years ago on an area of 2834 sq.mt and is one of the original baths in town. It is considered the last sample of its category and the architectural design is astonishing. It is open everyday.
This hamam has was in 1584 and was very popular among the Sultans. It is considered to be one of the most important examples of 16th century Ottoman architecture.
First built in 1481 by Sultan Bayezid II, it had some restorations under the reign of Ottoman Sultans and it was modernized in 1965 without spoiling original architecture and charm.
Also known as the Sifa (Cure) Hamam, it has separate sections for men and women. Both sections are in use today. Although the oldest hamam in Uskudar, it has still managed to retain its original appearance.
History
