Gedikpasa Hammam

Tucked away in a quiet street in Istanbul’s historic Fatih district lies one of Istanbul’s earliest Turkish baths – the 15th-century Gedikpasa Hamam. Don’t let the small entrance fool you; inside, you’ll find a sprawling 2,350-square-meter space dedicated to the traditional hammam experience that has been passed down since the Ottoman times. Treat yourself to a historic spa day and allow yourself to be pampered with a sauna, scrub, and massage session just like the locals have been doing for centuries.

The Turkish bath ritual at Gedikpasa Hamam

Gedikpasa offers the traditional Turkish hammam ritual comprising a hot marble rest, body scrub, and a foam massage. You can customize your experience by adding a foot massage, a 30- or 45-minute full-body massage, a face mask, or all three. There’s even a DIY option, where you can perform the rituals yourself instead of having a bath attendant cleanse you.

If you prefer to have your hammam experience in a private setting, you can opt for the Halvet privacy area add-on with your package. A thick floor-length curtain separates this area from the main public bath.

Your experience at Gedikpasa Hamam

• Inside the reception area of Gedikpasa Hamam, you’re directed to your gender-specific entrance, which leads to the locker room. Change out of your clothes, wrap yourself in the traditional Turkish pestemal towel provided, and lock your belongings in the security locker of the private changing room assigned to you.
• Your hammam experience begins in the sauna, where the hot water and steam open up the pores of your skin, preparing it skin for the cleansing that follows. The warmth soothes both your mind and body, and helps let go of stress.
• The next step is exfoliation done using a traditional kese exfoliating mitt. The bath attendant’s skilled hands scrub away layers of dead skin and dirt, leaving your skin clean and glowing.
• After an invigorating scrubbing, you’re made to lie down on a heated marble platform, where you’re given a luxurious full-body bubble wash and massage. This process leaves you in a state of blissful relaxation.
• If you’ve opted for further treatments, your experience continues with a body massage, a foot massage, or a face mask, rejuvenating you both mentally and physically.
• Once you wash and rinse off, you can stay on in the hammam, taking turns to warm up in the sauna and cool off with a soak in the cold pool.
• When you are finally finished, wrap yourself in a dry pestemal, change back into your clothes, and head back out to the reception area. Here, you can relax at one of the tables, enjoy some tea, coffee, or sherbet with fruits and Turkish Delight, and chat with the other visitors after the hammam experience.

History of Gedikpasa Hamam

Constructed in 1475, Gedikpaşa is one of the oldest and most historically significant Turkish baths in Istanbul. It was commissioned by Gedik Ahmed Pasha, one of the military commanders and grand viziers of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, and designed by architect Mimar Hayrettin. Since then, it has functioned as an integral part of the city’s cultural fabric, serving as a public bath for locals and visitors alike.

Spread across 2,350 square meters, the bathhouse is also one of Istanbul’s largest. It underwent significant repairs in the late 1800s due to earthquake damage during the preceding century. It survived the transitions in the country’s political landscape following the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the founding of the Turkish Republic. The 1900s and 2000s saw more restoration work done to preserve the hammam’s architectural features.

The Gedikpasa Hamam’s resilience through wars, changing empires, and modern urbanization highlights its lasting cultural and architectural importance. It is still in operation today, maintaining its status as one of Istanbul’s oldest active Turkish baths.