Çemberlitaş 1584 Bath

Çemberli Taş Traditional Turkish Bath: 4.5 from 52 reviews at Mimar Sinan's 1584 bath.

Overview

The Çemberlitaş bath has been washing visitors on Divanyolu Street since 1584, surrounded by the historic monuments of the old city. One traveller described a huge marble table lit from above by small skylights. The booking covers entrance plus the traditional bath with a soap massage.

An attendant starts things off by showing you to a dressing cubicle on the first floor and handing over sandals and a peştemal, the checked cloth you tie at the waist. From there you lie on the hot marble, whose heat is said to encourage the body to release toxins. The listing states that the massage therapist and the scrubber will be the same sex as you are. A 15-minute massage comes as part of the traditional option, along with soap, shampoo and a towel. Prefer to manage alone? A self-service choice exists, though you then supply the soap, shampoo and towel yourself.

Who does this suit? Anyone after the bathing tradition itself, since extras such as scrubbing with bubbles, the sultan's bath, an aromatherapy oil massage, an Indian massage or a clay mask are separate choices rather than part of the package. There is no pickup, so the trip to Divanyolu falls to you. Reviewers describe the attendants as friendly and professional, and one traveller called the experience relaxing and said they would do it again.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Arrival on DivanyoluMake your own way to the bath, which stands on Divanyolu Street among the old city's monuments. Pickup is not included, and your entrance is already covered by the booking.
2. Changing on the first floorAn attendant shows you to a dressing cubicle upstairs and provides sandals plus a peştemal, a checked cloth tied around the waist.
3. The hot marble slabYou move into the bath and onto the heated marble, which the listing says encourages the body to release toxins.
4. Washing and massageThe traditional bath includes washing with soap, and the listing states that the massage therapist and the scrubber will each be the same sex as you are. The traditional option provides the soap, shampoo and towel.
5. Optional extras and treatmentsChoices beyond the included bath include stone sweating, scrubbing with bubbles, the sultan's bath, an aromatherapy oil massage, an Indian massage and a clay mask. These are optional and sit outside the two included items.
6. After the bathFood and drinks are not part of the booking, so plan a meal elsewhere once you head back out onto Divanyolu.

What To Expect From The Tour

A handful of practical details, from clothing to timing, decide how smoothly the visit runs. These are the ones worth sorting out before you book.

• Changing and the peştemal. You change in a dressing cubicle on the first floor, then wear the peştemal provided, with sandals. Men usually wear nothing underneath the wrap, women typically keep their underwear on, and the listing makes clear the choice belongs to you.
• What to bring. A passport or ID card appears on the bring list for this tour. Pack your own soap if you have sensitive skin or allergies, since standard soap is what the bath supplies, and add your own shampoo and towel only if you pick the self-service option.
• Men and women apart. The sexes never mix here. The bath either keeps a section for each or admits men and women at different times of day, and the person who scrubs and massages you will be the same sex as you are.
• Timing your visit. Hamams open as early as 06:00 and run until around midnight. Plan an unhurried exit afterwards.
• The attendants. Reviewers describe the staff as friendly, professional and welcoming, and one traveller mentions a relaxing atmosphere. You are shown to the cubicle and given the wrap and sandals on arrival.

Common issues. Recent reviews raise no recurring complaint, but the listing sets firm limits. No transport comes with the booking, luggage and large bags cannot enter, and food and drinks are excluded, so arrive unencumbered and fed. Couples and mixed groups bathe apart, since the sexes never share the space, whether through separate sections or separate hours. Only standard soap is supplied.

Choosing The Right Hamam