Süleymaniye hamam
Encyclopedia
Suleymaniye Hamam is an historic Turkish bath in İstanbul
, Turkey
. The building, situated on a hill facing the Golden Horn
, was built in 1557 by Turkish architect Mimar Sinan; it was named for Süleyman the Magnificent. It is part of the Suleymaniye mosque
complex.
The hamam was commissioned by Sultan
Süleyman, ruler of the Ottoman Empire
between 1520 and 1566. The building is lavishly arched and domed, with elaborate marble inlay work on the walls. Sulemaniye Hamam is a traditional bathhouse consisting of three sections: cold, lukewarm and hot. Temperatures in the hot section can reach 40-60 degrees Celsius (104-140 F). The hamam is still operating today and caters mainly to tourists. It is the only hamam in Istanbul where men and women bathe together. Male attendants, called tellak, cater to all the clients.
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. The building, situated on a hill facing the Golden Horn
Golden Horn
The Golden Horn is a historic inlet of the Bosphorus dividing the city of Istanbul and forming the natural harbor that has sheltered Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other ships for thousands of...
, was built in 1557 by Turkish architect Mimar Sinan; it was named for Süleyman the Magnificent. It is part of the Suleymaniye mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
complex.
The hamam was commissioned by Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Süleyman, ruler of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
between 1520 and 1566. The building is lavishly arched and domed, with elaborate marble inlay work on the walls. Sulemaniye Hamam is a traditional bathhouse consisting of three sections: cold, lukewarm and hot. Temperatures in the hot section can reach 40-60 degrees Celsius (104-140 F). The hamam is still operating today and caters mainly to tourists. It is the only hamam in Istanbul where men and women bathe together. Male attendants, called tellak, cater to all the clients.