Hagia Sophia Hurrem Sultan Bath which was commissioned in 2008 with build-operate-transfer model was restored according to original features by a huge investment.

Hagia Sophia Hurrem Sultan Bath that preserved its unique structure for 450 years opened a new era in Turkish Bath architecture and has the title of being the first structure where women and men sections are on the same axis. Suleyman the Magnificent had Mimar Sinan build the Turkish Bath in 1556 year. Bath is showing differences from classical period Ottoman bath architecture with its double bath shape and 75m. length. In Turkish bath where men coldness, warmness, hotness sections and women hotness, warmness and coldness sections follow each other; all domes are covered with lead. Restoration project of Hagia Sophia Hurrem Sultan Bath was carried out by Kocaeli University Faculty of Architecture, which is expert in historical building restoration. No element of original bath architecture was sacrificed during the restoration process carried out with efforts of interdisciplinary teams consisting of academicians and professionals of their own fields, that lasted for months. Materials and technological systems that were used for the first time in Turkey were utilized for the works.

Hagia Sophia Hurrem Sultan Bath according to numbers

• Turkish Bath was built in 1556 year by Mimar Sinan.
• Restoration began in 2008 year.
• 1300 sqm. of Marmara Marble was used for restoration.
• Only the bath with 2 domes on the same line.
• Coldness section dome height is 24 meters.
• Navel stone temperature 42 degrees, private room temperature 48 degrees.
• Steam rate of private rooms is %100.
• 160 pieces of gold coated bath bowls were made for use of guests.
• Special loincloths were produced for guests.
• Offering services in total within body of Turkish bath and banquet areas.
• Our soaps are made of 100% olive oil and specially produced.

About Hurrem Sultan (Roxelana)  (1506 – 1558)

Hurrem Sultan was born in Rohatyn within the borders of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, which is today western Ukraine. She was kidnapped by Tatars during one of their raids in 1520 when she was just 14 years old and taken under the protection of the Crimean Khan.

She was later presented to the Ottoman palace to start her life in the harem of the Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent. Hurrem gained the attention of Suleiman and was one of the few women to be officially married to an Ottoman sultan. Her influence on Suleiman was well known and is thought to have even reached the politics within the Ottoman court. Hurrem commissioned many public buildings as part of her charitable work, including the Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam.

Together with Suleiman the Magnificent, Hurrem had one girl, Princess Mihrimah, and five boys, the princes Mehmed, Abdullah, Selim, Bayezid and Cihangir.

Hurrem Sultan passed away on April 18, 1558 at the age of 52, eight years before her husband Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. She did not witness the enthronement of her son Selim II who became Suleiman’s successor in 1566 AD.

Turkish Bath Sections

The Sections of the Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan HamamAyasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam, which is located in the historic peninsula between Blue Mosque and Haghia Sophia Museum is spread over threeacres of land, containing Turkish bath, restaurant and cafe sections.

Cold Room You first enter what is known as the cold room. Within the cold room section are a VIP room, changing rooms with security lockers, a hairdresser, reception area, massage rooms, vitamin bar, a boutique and the resting area. This is where you will change into the pestamal (silk wrap) before your bath. After your bath experience this is also the place to relax, drink a replenishing sherbet (fruit drink) and gaze up at the huge dome basking in the history of the sultans.

Warm Room After perspiring in the hot room, this is the place where the attendants will scrub your skin. You can also see part of the old heating system that was originally used in the hamam.

 

Hot Room The large marble massage platform in the hot room lies under the hamam’s dome and is surrounded by both open and private alcoves (halvet). The temperature in the hot room is around 42 – 47 degrees while the private alcoves may reach 60 degrees. In the hot section there are basins to fill with cooling water and gold-plated bowls for pouring it over your body. This room is where you first go so the heat prepares your skin for the scrub. It is also where the bubble wash and massage service is provided after your scrub.

Bath Culture

The Hamam Culture

The history of public baths stretches as far back as the Romans. Excavations carried out in the city of Pompeii (800BC-74AD), preserved by ash following the eruption of the Vesuvius, uncovered the baths that were used by the Romans.  These baths were not just for practical purposes, but also for the art of pleasure and entertainment. The class differences in the Roman Empire meant that, at the entrance gates, the washing places of the slaves and nobles were separated. The Roman bath consisted of the steam room and hot and cold water pools.

The Byzantines continued the rich heritage of the Romans, including their bath culture, and in turn influenced the Ottomans. At the height of the

Ottoman empire, every neighborhood of Istanbul had a hamam with hot and cold baths, fountains and domed marble rooms. There were days each week when they were open exclusively for women.

The main reason why the baths took such an important place in Ottoman culture was for religious purposes. According to the Koran, cleanliness is not just an important but a fundamental part of the faith. These marble temples also provided a meeting place for locals to partake in conversation along with bathing and massage.

It was customary for the wealthy to come to the bath with a silk towel, comb, henna, kohl, soap from Crete, mother of pearl inlaid sandals and in the company of servants.  This elaborate preparation was due to the fact that the time spent in the hamam was not just an hour but took up most of the day.

For the past one thousand years, the hamam tradition has been important for cleanliness and health but also for entertainment and social gatherings. These traditions have been reinterpreted for the modern culture in the Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam.

Mihri Restaurant

“A TABLE WORTHY of SULTANS” at MİHRİ RESTAURANT

Mihri Restaurant welcomes its guests in a building with great history. Located between Sultanahmet Mosque and Hagia Sophia Museum, which are two of the unique architectural masterpieces of the world, 460 years of the court of Ayasofya Hürrem Sultan Hamamı (the Bath-House named after Hürrem Sultan) are evoked in this mystical atmosphere.

Enlivened by its kitchen located in the Külhan area, where the fire of the bath-house was once kept, Mihri Restaurant offers the opportunity to taste the most elegant pieces of Turkish and Mediterranean cuisines in an atmosphere enriched by the view of the magnificent Hagia Sophia and the shade of the centenarian trees. The court of Ayasofya Hürrem Sultan Hamamı has been reopened after a long period of authentic restoration, and Mihri Restaurant serves as a café on this historical threshold and the perfect place to enjoy a meal or have a refreshing cup of tea after a tiresome walk, without leaving the historical atmosphere.

Quite successful in adding a different taste to meals with an authentic touch and unique presentations, Mihri Restaurant awaits those for whom taste matters in Sultanahmet, with the slogan “a table worthy of Sultans”.

Mihri Restaurant serves as À La Carte Restaurant and Café with a capacity that ranges from individual guests to groups consisting of up to 300 people.