“Turkey 🇹🇷 ~The Historical Gedikpaşa Hamam”

• March 6, 2020
• By Pen n Daryl
• 4 Comments

Hmm? what to do on a drizzly grey day in Istanbul?  Well, we got another Turkish Bath!  

…. but this time, it felt like we stepped back in time, as we entered the 1475 structure; also the oldest building in Turkey.
545 years ago,  this hamam was built to be a Turkish Bath House, and it has continued to be such, to this today. 

Gedikpaşa bath was built by Gedik Ahmet Pasha in 1475 by the most famous architects of the Ottoman period, Hayrettin the Architect. Gedikpaşa Bath is one of the most important works of Ottoman Architecture in Istanbul. It is located in the city center, near the Grand Bazaar.

On this day, we hopped on the Metro, near our flat, did some walking, then switched to the tram, to make it to city center.  This area was new to us, and it was a bustling place. Lots of activity going on. There are coffee shops, bakeries, and little restaurants. Daryl found a butcher shop to buy some lamb, and carried on a conversation with a local who has been cutting meat for 55 years (Daryl was a butcher for 37 years).

When getting a Turkish Bath at the ancient bath house, Daryl and I had to go to separate quarters for our treatments. We knew this in advance. A female works on females, and a male works on males, just as it has been fine for hundreds of years. 

The old building is enormous, and can easily hold a hundred guests, but I was the only woman, and Daryl said there was only one other male guest from Holland at the time we went.

Just like our first hamam experience last week, we were given the traditional cover, called a “peshtemal;” a thin cotton towel to wrap ourselves in, following the disrobing of our clothes. First stop was the steam room for 15 minutes. It was turned up high and did it’s job, perfectly.  After that, the attendant used a handwoven wash cloth known as a “Kese;” to perform the vigorous full- body scrubbing, followed by a rinse and then a full-body foam wash; rinse, then and a 20-minute “honey” massage

The scrubbing exfoliates ones skin, and it’s a little shocking to see so many dead skin cells lingering on ones body, and on the heated marble slab, till the rinse and soapy bath clears them all away.  My skin felt tingly during the hot water rinse, as the new skin was tender.

I loved the honey massage! Being inside these heated chambers, and laying on heated marble beds, is a very nice experience.  The aroma of hot honey, after it was scrubbed into my skin, filled my senses. It was very relaxing, and my new skin was comforted with this natural treatment.

After the final rinse, a private, small pool is available for dipping in. Just like our first experience, this place has cold water, too.  Nothing comfortable or relaxing about cold-water dipping to me, so I ended with more sauna time… now that was nice! A final shower, then it was time to get back in my street clothes, to meet Daryl in the common room.

Daryl had an equally nice experience, but said the honey massage was a bit painful as the sticky honey pulled at his arm hairs and leg hairs.  I guess for a male, this would be the case. I did not have that issue. 

The cost here, for about 45 minutes of treatment time; including the honey massage is 210 Lira per person, or $34 USA