Cağaloğlu Hammam

Cağaloğlu was completed in 1741 by Mahmud I, its revenue endowed to the upkeep of a library, and it was one of the last major hammams built in Istanbul under the Ottomans, begun by the architect Süleyman Ağa and finished by Abdullah Ağa, with details in the Ottoman Baroque of its century. It has separate men's and women's sections, each with the standard sequence: a domed changing hall, a warm room, and the hot room with a great marble slab, the göbek taşı, under a dome pierced with star-shaped glass that drops shafts of light through the steam. It has been in continuous use for close to three centuries, which is the point - this is a working bath, not a reconstruction. Packages run from using the place yourself to the full sequence of scrub with a kese mitt, foam massage and oil massage. Prices are high by local standards because of what the building is.

What to look for

• The hot room - the marble slab under the pierced dome.
• The light shafts - star-shaped glass throwing light through steam.
• The changing hall - the domed entrance chamber and its galleries.
• The scrub and foam - the kese mitt and the foam massage.

When to go

Year-round; a hammam is best in cold weather. Mornings and early afternoon are quieter. Men's and women's sections have their own hours - check before arriving.

What to expect

It is expensive compared with neighbourhood hammams, and priced for visitors. The scrub is vigorous by design. Sections are gender-separated; bring or rent a peştemal, and tipping the attendant is customary.

Nearby

Sultanahmet, the Basilica Cistern and Hagia Sophia are a few minutes' walk.

Key facts