Cağaloğlu Hamamı

Maybe a good choice 300 years ago — not any more from my opinion. Fairly dirty, mould all over the place, stinky toilettes and way overpriced.
So don’t trust all the testimonials from emperor Wilhelm II., Franz List to Jenson Button:)

Never quite sure whether I would like it or not.
— felt exfoliated and cleansed with Ivory smelling soap (perhaps since childhood days)
— heard cracks from bones didn’t hear before
— felt relaxed and calm after the experience
Don’t come in and expect pampering similar to modern day spa. It is your rudimentary body treatment expected of a 300-​yr tradition.
Would be helpful if receptionist or valet would explain what to expect. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience.

Absolutely a 5-​star experience. We had a little trouble with a Viator pass we had booked online, but the staff was helpful in figuring out the situation. I would HIGHLY recommend paying for the service in the location and not using an online reservation service.
We booked the Sultan Mahmut service (110 Euro each, $ 122 USD/​person) and it was the real deal. Everyone was very professional and it was an awe inspiring experience. The hamam itself is magnificent and appears largely unchanged since it was built in the 1700’s.
I cannot say enough good things about this place, a must see when in Istanbul.

This isn’t my first hammam experience and was one of the things that I was looking forward to the most. I usually only splurge on spa like things when I go on vacation.
In Marrakech, I’ve done at least 3 hammam experiences and they scrub you within an inch of your life and as gory as it sounds that’s what I’m hoping for.
This was an impromptu decision to pop in when I had an hour to kill before hotel checkout. Staff was friendly and showed me to a room. I feel like this could be the real deal as it seemed like a lot of locals were there. Seemed like it took awhile for the attendant to perform the bath and it wasn’t as intense as I would have liked. The products were basic especially the shampoo and I would have rather gone without that part.
One recommendation I have is not to do midday unless you have a makeup case and hair supplies. You get totally drenched.
The hammam experience is pretty cool but I think that there are better options out there and this one rides the «Kate Moss bathed here» coat tails a bit too much.

A mixed bag, but mostly a bag full of disappointment. What this place served me was the full tourist trap vibe. Perhaps it was the weak massage. Or rushed service. Or state of utter confusion on the process — but in the end, for the exorbitant price, I left unimpressed!
The Deets:
COST: 165 TL or $ 68 USD for a 90 min Hammam bath (body scrub) + Turkish massage
CASH ONLY! [even though our hotel concierge called and confirmed that credit cards were accepted. We even asked at the door and received a resounding YES before being ushered to the cashier — only to be told cash only, followed by a rather insincere apology. Highly deceptive and annoying. This did a great disservice to their workers since we used all of cash and had no money left for tip.)
CLEANLINESS — 5 stars. Despite being the oldest hammam with dated facilities, I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the locker room, bathroom and hammam.
ROUTINE — confusing. If you don’t know the drill don’t expect a walk through on the process.
— Will be assigned a private cubicle where you’ll disrobe and cover yourself with a fouta (provided). Bathing suit optional, your choice. You can safely leave your belongings in the room, just be sure to lock door on your way out. Don’t forget your awkward wooden clog slipper!
— Go to hamman and lay on a deliciously warm and relaxing granite slab for about 10 minutes (allegedly. I was definitely waiting longer)
— If you’re getting a bath service, the attendant will call your number (same as locker #). If not, grab a bar of soap and do your thing.
— My service included a rather short body scrub, an all too gentle massage and hair shampoo (with SOAP!)
— After service, you will be ushered to your locker room. (I sure wish I was given some time to relax a bit) The scrubbing pad is yours to keep. Attendant will linger around for tip (optional — as indicated by various signs posted around the establishment). If you don’t give one, you will most definitely get the evil eye. (May hamsa be with you!)
In summary, A+ for cleanliness, which was my biggest concern. However, I wish I had sucked it up, sacrificed a bit on luxury and went to a place that would have been somewhat grittier, but guaranteed to offer an authentic experience. And for cheaper too!

Hell no! would not recommend, rip off and all reviews look like fake. Save your money.

Wow, what a great experience here — it was ancient, historic and relaxing.
There are many options available depending on what services you want. I had an incredible experience enjoying massage and bath and scrub and relaxing in the facilities. I was here at a time when only two other people were around so it was extremely relaxing. Being inside such a historic and ornate building was great… it was nice to have an escape not too far from the main tourist area.

I have so many seriously wonderful memories of Turkey and not enough time to sit and savor those memories — that’s why I’m spreading out the reviews of my Turkish experiences — it’s not just for you, but it’s letting me re-​live the exciting things I did*.
While in Turkey, do as the Turks do? So, away we went to a TURKISH BATH. I mean, seriously, where else would ever have a chance to do this? (answer: You can only have a TURKISH bath in, well … TURKEY).
We had a plan. And it was a relaxing evening plan. We knew we wanted to go back to that yummy Antiochland restaurant that we’d gone to a few nights before, and we noticed that the Hamami was right next door. So … that settled that — We were on our way to experience the Turkish Bath & dinner at the quiet little Antiochland with the quirky waiter. DONE and DONE.
Start from the top:
When you enter, you must choose from a menu the «services» — We went for the Full Monty (it was too confusing to slice and dice — plus WHAT A STEAL? $ 80 for an hour and a half of buff and puff at a spa? Seriously? That’s about three benjamins here in the ‘Ham or the ATL).
I won’t distract you with another review of what they did — check out Brittany S’s review — my experience was much of the same.
We walked in without an appointment and were instantly whisked away to our respective changing areas. Yes. It was a little odd, and I felt a little «exposed» laying on this warm slab of marble getting scrubbed and massaged by two «hefty Turkish women», in front of 5 or 6 other gals, but ohhhhh myyyy … did it feel fiiiiiine! My skin was softer than a baby’s ass (they let you take home the little scrubbie cloth, but here we are, a month later, and I’ve yet to get the same feeling again, sadly). They will get you tip to tail (literally, for you modest ones), and you will never have an experience like this anywhere else. As with everything else in Turkey, the service was great (I state that for the women’s side — I do understand from Mr SS9 that he got hounded for tips on the dude side), and everyone was very nice.
So, if you find yourself in Istanbul with a little time on your hands with tired feet & aching back from all the walking, take a little side street up to Cagaloglu for about an hour and a half and treat yourself.
My one suggestion for the spa management — While getting around Istanbul was a breeze for this non-​Turkish speaking American, this was the only place on my trip that I had a bit of trouble communicating. There was no «host» to explain (a) instructions for the «process»: you’re just kinda led around and often left sitting, wondering what you’re supposed to be doing next and (b) tipping. Tipping is often left up to the patron in Turkey (I found), and it’s explained well in travel books and sometimes on restaurant and service menus — We tip pretty heavily in most situations, and weren’t really sure what the custom was with respect to this establishment/​service.
*Yes. OF COURSE I took my trusty pink Unilocal moleskin with me to Turkey — How else do you think I could pull off remembering all the cool stuff about all the cool places I went? My Pink Unilocal Moleskin … I Never leave home without it. :)

Who would have ever thought having another woman aggressively scrub you down while laying on an enormous slab of marble with another eight or so topless women would be so darned enjoyable? Hear me out. This is hands-​down one of the top five experiences of my life to date. At first, I balked at the $ 70/​$ 80 price but quickly realized, «how often are you a.) in Istanbul or b.) offered the opportunity to strip down and be massaged by a hefty Turkish woman clad in a bikini who doesn’t speak a lick of English? Perfect scenario in my book.
**note: we chose this location for two reasons: central location and it is one of the most historical in the city (fun fact: Florence Nightingale once went here)
The process:
–For starters, this is a coed Hammam with two separate baths for males and females. Our male counterparts reported back that the slapdown provided on their side was a tinge on the painful side.
–They hand you a towel and pair of big black underwear at the entrance (most comfortable pair of underwear known to shekind). All female participants wore these bottoms with no tops (however, a few shy folks in the crowd opted to keep their bras on — — - — - — to which I say, go big, take it off, this is one of the most diverse litters you’ll ever come across.
–After they’ve warmed you up in the sauna room, it’s time to be paired up with your Turkish conquistador. Once on the enormous communal marble slab, they massage you in a way that is both motherly and manly. There are no boundaries in the hammam. Roll with it. My favorite part of the process was looking up at the domed ceiling that consisted of little eyelet windows letting natural light in. Magical.
–Following the massage, there is the scrub-​down which consists of an outrageous amount of suds. She’ll scrub your pits, lift you up, tata time, you name it. Don’t plan to walk out of here with your makeup and hair all did up. Besides, who cares, you’re on vacation.
–Next up — rinsing — like a baby. buckets of water poured over you in this helpless manner that I’ve never experienced in my adult life.
–Finally, one last massage in a quiet room off to the side.
**Following this experience, I went on a mad hunt for other Turkish baths around the world. Rumor has it, Montréal has one but maybe I’ll get lucky and find something in Chicago or New York?

My mother kept telling me that I had to try a Turkish bath while in Istanbul, and my friend found this place as the most beautiful one in the Lonely Planet.
You can just walk in without an appointment, but be aware that it’s cash only. My friend and I didn’t have enough, so we had to go to the ATM down the street to get enough funds. :P
We decided to splurge on a wash, massage, and then another foam massage. Pricey, but the whole experience was totally worth it. I got scrubbed squeaky clean all over, and the attendant even washed my long hair and got all my makeup off. Definitely a great thing to do after a hot day of walking around in the city.
Nice courtyard to sit in afterward and have a drink. They screwed up my drink order, but oh well. Still a lovely experience.

Wenn man gerne für 7 Minuten schlechte Massage 50 Euro plus Trinkgeld, was einem aufgezwungen wird, ausgeben will, dann ist man hier richtig.
Das war die Abzocke von unserem Istanbul Urlaub.
Die New York Times Werbung– 1000 Plätze die man gesehen haben muss, bevor man stirbt– sollte gestrichen werden.