Gedikpaşa Hamamı

I had already written a similar review on my blog but when I had noticed that this place had close to no reviews on here I felt that it deserved one.
The Hamam is the oldest in the city, being built in 1475 by the Ottoman architect Gedik Ahmet Pasha. When we entered we saw several stories of cubicles where one can change. The actual baths are divided into two parts: the men’s section and the women’s section. Before entering, we were given a Pestemal, which is a is a large cotton towel that is fringed at both ends and is meant to be wrapped around the torso when you are in between steams. Once we undressed, we made our way into the main bath; it has a large domed ceiling (the largest out of all the Hamams in Istanbul) and is completely covered in marble. In the middle stands a solid marble block where visitors can lie down and receive massages and scrubs. From the main room we could enter a series of smaller humid rooms that served a similar purpose. Lined along the walls were sinks, taps and tases, which are ornamented brass bowls that you can fill with water and rinse off any dirt from your body. The Hamam also includes a small pool where you can refresh after a steam. In addition to these rooms, there was also a small Finnish sauna.
What surprised me was how different the Turkish Hamam was to a westernized Turkish steam room. In Canada most ‘Hamams’ have a device that creates steam artificially and a lot of it. Authentic Turkish Hamams aren’t very steamy or hot, and all the steam is created naturally from warmth and water. Hamams in Turkey seem to serve as a social place where you come to simply relax and get clean as opposed to get hot and sweat out toxins.
If you ever go to Gedikpasa Hamam, I strongly recommend getting the scrub and massage. It’s a bit pricey costing 50 dollars per person, but it’s worth the money. After I spent some time in the Finnish Sauna, I lied down on the marble for the scrub. The half naked employee used a traditional Turkish mitt called a kese on every part of my body. The staff were all women since it was the women’s section, and they were all very pleasant and friendly, despite their limited English. During the scrub I could literally see rolls of dirt coming off of my skin! After the scrub I rinsed off and got the massage. This involved getting lathered with a mound of foam created by squeezing soap through a large bag, and having all the tension rubbed out of my muscles. After the process my skin felt soft and clean, and all I wanted to do was sleep.
In short, if you want to experience something truly authentic to Turkish culture, visiting the Gedikpasa Bath is a great way to do it. It was a truly unique and pleasurable experience. I will definitely be back the next time I’m in Istanbul!

Le hammam de Gedik Pasa est un des plus anciens hammams de la ville et a été construit en 1475. Gedik Ahmet Pasa fut un des grands vizirs de Mehmet II le Conquérant, il commandait la flotte qui prit Azov, se rendit maître de l’île grecque de Lefkada et du port italien d’Otrante. C’est un hammam double, toujours en activité. Le sogukluk (vaste espace sous coupole flanqué d’alcôves et de petites pièces) est particulièrement grand. les salles chaudes avec pierre centrale chauffée par le dessous sont particulièrement belles, on remarquera les structures complexes des voûtes à stalactites. Y passer une soirée entre amis, massages à la turque inclus, fou rires garantis ! (voir peinture).
Bön séjour dans cette magnifique ville d’Istanbul.
David MENARD