KILIÇ ALİ PAŞA MOSQUE

Tophane Square - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°01'36.0"N 28°58'51.0"E / 41.026667, 28.980833



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Situated in the Tophane Square, it is a small complex consisting of a mosque, a religious school, a tomb, a public fountain and a hamam. It was built by Architect Sinan on the orders of Admiral Kılıç Ali Paşa. It is one of the last projects of Architect Sinan's later works. Sinan being the most famous of all Ottoman architects. Kılıç Ali Paşa was the grand admiral of the Ottoman Navy between 1571 and 1587.

The Kılıç Ali Pasha Complex is a group of buildings designed and built between 1580 and 1587 by Mimar Sinan, who at the time was in his 90s. The mosque itself was constructed in 1578-1580. It is located in the Tophane neighbourhood of the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is named after Kılıç Ali Pasha.

His religious complex in Istanbul is located across the Ottoman canon foundry (Tophane) near Karaköy, and was built by Ottoman court architect Sinan towards the end of his career in 1581. Chosen for its proximity to the Tophane Pier, the site is now located further inland due to infills along the Bosphorus shoreline. The Kılıç Ali Paşa complex, which Kılıç Ali Paşa (the grand admiral of the Ottoman Navy) had built by the architect Sinan in the Tophane Square in 1581, consists of a mosque, a tomb, a sabil, a madrasah (Muslim theological school), and a Turkish bath.

According to the folklore Kılıç Ali Paşa asked Sultan Murat III to give him land to build a mosque. The Sultan replied because Kılıç Ali Paşa was such a great admiral he should build a mosque in the sea. That explains why the sea shore was filled up and the complex was built in that position. The mosque is surrounded by a large courtyard and the assembly area is covered by a sloping roof, with ornate carvings on the three doors of the inner garden. There are Quranic verses painted on the ceramic panels over the windows. In the garden is a fountain with eight marble columns and a covering dome.

In 1948, the 16th century ship's lantern which hung from the main dome was moved to the Maritime Museum. On the right hand side a minaret rises with the balcony. The tomb of Kılıç Ali Paşa is located in the garden facing east. By the garden wall facing the street is a fountain. The hamam on the right hand side of the mosque is still in use today. The school is located on the sea side of the hamam.

The courtyard is open during the day. The larger complex includes a mosque, a madrasa, public baths and a cemetery including the founder's tomb, all aligned with qibla to the east of south. The mosque and cemetery are surrounded by a rectangular precinct wall with iron-grill windows, which was pulled back to its current location during road enlargements in 1956, constricting the mosque's forecourt. Among the five precinct gates, the two along the main boulevard and the side gates to the northeast and southwest lead into the forecourt which is dominated by the double portico of the mosque.

The mosque and cemetery are surrounded by a rectangular precinct wall with iron-grill windows, which was pulled back to its current location during road enlargements in 1956, constricting the mosque's forecourt. Among the five precinct gates, the two along the main boulevard and the side gates to the northeast and southwest lead into the forecourt which is dominated by the double portico of the mosque.

Mosque
The plan scheme of the mosque, built by Sinan the Architect in 1580. The central dome of the mosque is 12.70 metres (41.7 ft) in diameter, carried on pendentives on granite piers and two half-domes on the Qibla axis. Towards the entrance, on two sides, there is a two-story gallery. The dome is placed at the center with two exedrae similar to a Byzantine basilica, thus the resemblance to Hagia Sophia.

The mosque is based on a rectangular design and is an enlarged plan of the Haghia Sophia mosque. The top of the windows is adorned by the tiles and the largest dome is resting on four elephant leg shaped marble columns and is supported in the east and the west by two half domes. In each of the four corners a small dome is located and colored tiles with flower motifs decorate the mosque's interior. The largest dome has twenty four windows and including these the building has a total of 147 windows.

Kılıç Ali Pasha, who was a conscript recruit of Italian origin, had this complex built outside the Galata city walls, based on the Ayasofya design concept. It is another one of Sinan’s architectural works that has reached our day in quite a good condition. Its similarity to the Hagia Sophia has been sometimes considered to be a negative factor by some critiques and attributed to the Pasha’s past, or his attempt at creating such a splendor just near the non-muslim Galata neighborhood.

This large scale mosque displays a celebration of architecture with its references to the Hagia Sophia, unique plan, rich and highly refined marble workmanship in the burial area. The central dome of main space of the mosque is 12.70 m in diameter, which has a rectanglular plan, is placed on a pulley with windows. The weight of the dome is distributed on four piers with supporting pendentives. It is thought that the mosque was an improved sample of the architectural aesthetics of the Hagia Sophia and is decorated with Iznik tiles from 16th century workmanship.

The mosque is completely lit by a total of 147 windows, 24 of which are exist on the pulley of its dome. A historical beacon belonging to the 16th century, which can be found at the Naval Museum of Istanbul today, was also used for lightening. In addition, during the renovation period in the 19th century, the minaret of the mosque with its single balcony was renewed and the Baroque ornaments were added to it.

The northwest wall, across from the portico, is lined by an arcade with ablution spigots. Additional washing areas are located around the dodecagonal ablution fountain (şadırvan) that occupies the center of the narrow forecourt, protected by a domed kiosk carried on eight pillars. The forecourt is largely shaded with the long eaves of the mosque portico, ablution arcade and the ablution fountain. The outdoor prayer space of the mosque consists of a raised five-bay portico enveloped by an arcade with shorter columns on three sides, forming a double portico.

The inner portico features muqarnas capitals and is covered with domes, while the outer portico has a shed roof and diamond-cut capitals. Iron screens placed between the outer columns separate the double portico from the forecourt, limiting entry to a carved marble doorway inside the central bay. The tall mosque portal is centered on the portico façade and crowned by an inscriptive plaque and a large triangular panel with a mirrored inscription highlighted in gold. Without the portico, the mosque measures thirty one and a half meters by twenty six meters on the exterior.

Above the prayer hall are five small domes carried on six marble columns. The tile panels placed high in the prayer hall are inscribed with ayats (verses) from the Quran. The mosque has only one minaret with one gallery. The mihrab is in a square projecting apse.

A 16th-century beacon that used to hang from the central dome was taken off to be displayed at the Museum of Ottoman and Turkish Naval History in 1948.

The outdoor prayer space of the mosque consists of a raised five-bay portico enveloped by an arcade with shorter columns on three sides, forming a double portico. The inner portico features muqarnas capitals and is covered with domes, while the outer portico has a shed roof and diamond-cut capitals. Iron screens placed between the outer columns separate the double portico from the forecourt, limiting entry to a carved marble doorway inside the central bay.

The tall mosque portal is centered on the portico façade and crowned by an inscriptive plaque and a large triangular panel with a mirrored inscription highlighted in gold. Without the portico, the mosque measures thirty one and a half meters by twenty six meters on the exterior.

Inside, the tall nave of the prayer hall is covered by a central dome measuring thirteen meters in diameter, braced by two semi domes of the same radius to the northwest and southeast. Like at the Hagia Sophia, the lateral thrust of the dome is asymmetrically countered with grand arches in the other two directions, requiring the placement of heavy flying buttresses on the exterior. Double-story galleries flank the nave on all sides except for qibla where the shallow mihrab apse projects into the cemetery behind the mosque, covered with a small semi-dome.

The vertical loads of the dome are transferred via pendentives onto four massive piers built into the gallery arcades. The nave is illuminated from the top with rings of windows pierced into the base of the dome and the semi-domes, and from clerestory windows inside the tympana of the dome arches. Two tiers of casements bring light and air into the galleries; both tiers are topped by arched windows featuring colored glass set in plaster. A continuous stone cornice envelops the interior at the springing of the dome arches, adding stability to the structure as well as creating a catwalk for maintenance.

On the qibla wall, the rectangular mihrab apse is covered entirely with floral Iznik tiles and inscriptive tile panels. Four plaster windows inside the apse and two others set high on the qibla wall feature intricate colored glass compositions containing floral arabesques and inscriptions. The marble mihrab is adorned simply with a muqarnas hood, while the sides of the marble minbar are carved with arabesques painted in gold. The muezzin's platform (müezzin mahfili) is located across the minbar to the right of the entrance, and is carried over eight marble columns.

Interior walls of the galleries and all vaulted surfaces are covered with white plaster and painted in sections with floral arabesques. Inscriptive medallions adorn the apex of tall dome and the pendentives of the central dome. The cut-stone construction of the gallery arcades and the qibla wall are left exposed.

The mosque, the main unit of the complex, is located in the middle of  the courtyard. During the road construction works in 1956, the frame of the courtyard lost its original shape when its wall was moved back. The last prayer section of the mosque is covered by five domes, and the porch is covered with lead encircling the last prayer section in three directions creating this section’s ceiling structure.

Minaret
The single minaret of the mosque is attached to the west corner of the prayer hall. Its steps are accessed from one of two symmetrical stairways at either end of the northwest arcade that lead up to the gallery level. All domes and roofs, including the conical crown of the minaret, are covered with lead panels on the exterior.

Tomb of Kılıç Ali Paşa
The octagonal stone tomb of the founder is located in the cemetery behind the qibla wall of the mosque. Its dome is carried on four arches that rest on a thick wall to the northeast and two free-standing columns to the southeast. Its portal is set into the northeast wall, topped by the foundation plaque.

The tomb of the complex, situated on an octagonal plan with cut-stone, located on the side overlooking the sea, belongs to Kılıç Ali Paşa. At the outer courtyard in the graveyard stands an octagonal türbe with a dome also made by Mimar Sinan. It's wooden doors are inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Kılıç Ali Pasha's tomb lies inside the tomb.

The courtyard is open during the day. This is a place where high-level Ottoman naval officers have been laid to rest. It is closed to visitors but can easily be viewed from the outside. The Tomb of Kılıç Ali Pasha is also an unusual structure with a unique plan. The portico was brought inside, instead of projecting to the exterior.

 It's wooden doors are inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Kılıç Ali Pasha's tomb lies inside the türbe. The octagonal tomb of Kılıç Ali Pasha in the cemetery of the mosque is almost the only example of a two columned front porch.

Madrasa
The madrasa is located to the south of the mosque. It is square in plan and measures about twenty-five meters per side. Its fountain court is surrounded by an arcade with eleven domed bays that give access to eighteen student cells. The large domed classroom iwan projects beyond the northeast wing of the madrasa and faces the cemetery like the mosque apse.

The madrasah near the bath, which measures 27.2 x 28.7 m, has a courtyard, 17 rooms, and a classroom. The medrese, opposite the southeast corner of the mosque, is almost square. This structure might not be constructed by Mimar Sinan as it is not in the official list of his works, the Tazkirat-al-Abniya. The madrasa is located to the south of the mosque.

Bath
The bath of the complex is a building covered by a dome located on the right-hand side of the mosque. The public baths (hamam) of the complex is located outside the precinct walls, to the southwest of the mosque and was completed by 1583. Measuring eighteen meters by thirty one and a half meters, the baths consist of a hot-room preceded by a dressing room of equal size to its northwest. The hexagonal hall of the hot-room is flanked by seven private cells, five of which have domes. The central spaces of the hot-room and the dressing room are covered by domes pierced with lights; the larger dome of the dressing room is fourteen meters in diameter.

It is known that the bath at the right of the mosque was under construction in 1583. Its layout is different from classical baths because the changing room was placed between two cool rooms instead of putting in front of cool room. The diameter of the dome roofing for the changing room is 14.1 m. To the right of the mosque is the hamam, of which the construction was completed in 1583.

The public baths (hamam) of the complex is located outside the precinct walls, to the southwest of the mosque. Measuring 18 meters by 31,5 meters, the baths consist of a hot-room preceded by a dressing room of equal size to its northwest. The hexagonal hall of the hot-room is flanked by 7 private cells, 5 of which have domes. The central spaces of the hot-room and the dressing room are covered by domes pierced with lights; the larger dome of the dressing room is 14 meters in diameter. The baths are no longer in function and are in need of restoration.

The glass doors lead into two separate soğukluk (cool rooms) that are placed on either sides of the hararet (caldarium-hot room) which is hexagonal in plan with open bathing places in four of its six arched recesses, the other two opening to the soğukluks. The placement of the soğukluks and the plan of the hararet differ from the usual application carried out by Sinan in his other extant hamams.

Sebil
It is thought that the sabils existing on the courtyard’s wall belong to the complex. The domed sabil of the complex projects onto the street at the northern corner of the precinct walls and is entered from a door inside the mosque courtyard.

Şadırvan
The northwest wall, across from the portico, is lined by an arcade with ablution spigots. Additional washing areas are located around the dodecagonal ablution fountain (şadırvan) that occupies the center of the narrow forecourt, protected by a domed kiosk carried on eight pillars. The forecourt is largely shaded with the long eaves of the mosque portico, ablution arcade and the ablution fountain.

Rumours
The Turkish researcher Rasih Nuri İleri claimed during his examination of the complex's foundation documents that Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes was a forced worker at the construction of the complex during his enslavement, like the Captive character in his novel Don Quixote.

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SÜLEYMANİYE MOSQUE COMPLEX

Süleymaniye - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 1°00'59.0"N 28°57'50.0"E / 41.016389, 28.963889



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This mosque is one of the incomparable architectural works that defines the silhouette and identity of Istanbul. Even though its grand size and dimensions, the Complex was one of the most significant construction operations in the history of the Ottoman Empire, it displays an overall simplicity and austerity. This is probably due to the personal preferences and religiosity of Sultan Süleyman, known as the Lawgiver. Many of the measurements relating to its construction are thought to have symbolic meanings.

The complex is located in Süleymaniye, the neighbourhood of Eminönü named after it. It was built by Sultan Süleyman, the Magnificent in 1557 and designed by Architect Sinan. The Süleymaniye Complex represented the second and most important stage in an architectural tradition which began with the Fatih Complex, namely a symmetrical grouping and use of geometric shaping among the layout of the complex buildings.

The Süleymaniye Complex is composed of 15 sections: 1-Mosque, 2-Rabi Madrasah (High School), 3-Salis Madrasah (Intermediate School), 4-Evvel Madrasah (Elementary School), 5-Sani Madrasah (Seconday School), 6-Tıp Madrasah (Medical School), 7-The Tomb of Suleiman the Magnificent, 8-The Tomb of the Hürrem Sultan (Roxelana, wife of the Suleiman the Magnificent ), 9-Türbedar (caretaker) Room, 10-Bimarhane (hospital), 11-Darüzziyafe (Restaurant, previously a soup kitchen in the 16th century), 12-Darülhadis Madrasah (school of traditions of the Prophet), 13-Tabhane (the hostel attached to a mosque where travellers usually dervishes and mystics) could live free for three days), 14-The Tomb of the Architect Sinan, 15-Bathhouse

The Süleymaniye Complex, consisting of a large number of courtyards and a caravansarai, was constructed starting on June 13, 1550 through October 15, 1557 by Architect Sinan (the grand old master of Ottoman architecture). A total of 3,523 workers were employed during the construction of the complex. There were 1,713 Muslim employees. Stones and columns of the complex were brought from different regions of the Ottoman Empire: Bozcaada, İzmit, Mut, Ezine, Gazze Lebanon, etc. In addition, other building materials were brought from different regions of the Ottoman Empire to be used in the complex.

The Süleymaniye Mosque and Complex incorporate the art and genius of Architect Sinan, the greatness and strenght of the Ottomans and the beauty and elegance of İstanbul. During the construction of the nosque, one of the largest building supply sheds in the history of architecture was realised. The supplies were brought from all corners of the Empire. The columns found in some ancient ruins were detached, brought to İstanbul and used in the interior of the mosque.

Various documents mention that the four main columns in the Mosque, one brought from the Artemis Temple in Ephesus, two from Egypt, and one from Istanbul, were erected to represent the four Caliphs of Islam. Overall, it displays the major canons, which became the bases of Sinan’s classical architecture and influenced subsequent periods as sources of design and building.

The mosque is surrounded by an outer courtyard with the kiblah, or direction to Mecca, being on one side along with an enclosed cemetery containing graves and a mausoleum; the opposite side of the kiblah contains an inner courtyard. The marble-covered inner courtyard is entered through a magnificent three-storey door the likes of which are seen in no other mosque in İstanbul. The courtyard contains a pool and water-jet fountain. Again unlike other mosques, the four minarets stand in the four corners of the courtyard. The proportion exhibited by the minarets and the domes is a product of genius.

The domes rise from the ground to a height of 50 meters, and the minarets located where the courtyard meets the walls of the mosque have three galleries and are 76 meters high. The minarets located at the side of the courtyard with the entrance have two galleries and are 56 meters high. This proportion is the key to the perfection of the mosque's silhouette. The mosque has a main dome supported by two half-domes. Due to the design of the domes, the acoustics within the mosque are exceptionally clear.

A huge dome covers the main chamber of the mosque, which has four minarets. The main entrance to the mosque is from an inner courtyard that is surrounded by porticoes and has an ablution fountain in the center. The spaciousness, unity and exquisite decorations add to the imposing view of the interior. The 53 m high central dome with a diameter of 26.50 m rests on four pillars called elephant-feet. All the architectural elements of the interior are in perfect harmony with one another. The static balance of the structure is faultless too.

The air circulation within the mosque is also exceptional and the space above the entrance is illuminated by 4000 candles. Soot obtained from the candles is one of the raw materials in the making of ink used for callgraphy.

The marble pulpit and mosque niche are works of art in the field of engraving and carving. The carved lectern of the preacher, window and doors of wood inlaid with mother-of-pearl, stained glass windows and other decorative features of mosques have a low profile; the emphasis in the interior of the mosque is on decorative through calligraphy. Verses from the Koran are inscribed on the walls in some of the supreme examples of the Turkish art of calligraphy.

Numerous earthquakes that have shaken Istanbul over the centuries have not caused a single crack in the building. The baroque decorations of the inside of the dome were made in the 19th century. The handmade carpet with a mihrap design covering the floor was placed here in the 1950's. The most attractive features of the interior are the extremely colorful, 16th century original stained glass windows with Turkish motifs in the wall of the mihrap. A very simple balcony for the chanters is situated next to the minber, and the mihrap niche made of marble is decorated with tiles. The sultan's loge is to the left of the mihrab.

The largest and most imposing mosque in Istanbul, the city of domes and minarets, is the Süleymaniye. The aesthetic supremacy of its interior and exterior and its perfect proportions have been captivating the visitors for centuries. The Süleymaniye Mosque is an architectural masterpiece. The 16th century was the golden age of the Ottoman Empire. Süleyman the Magnificent, the longest reigning among the thirty-six Ottoman sultans, ruled for 47 years in this century. The great sultan entrusted the construction of the mosque to bear his name to Sinan, the Süleymaniye, southern facade with stained glass windows, and the Friday congregation.

 Sinan completed the mosque and the large complex surrounding it between 1550-1557. The mosque was one of many demonstrations of the genius of Sinan, the father of classical Turkish architecture. The complex surrounding the mosque was composed of schools, a library, baths, public kitchens, caravanserai, a hospital and shops. The beauty of the exterior of the mosque is best appreciated from a distance.

The two minarets located at the two sides of the facade have two balconies each, and the two other two, which are at the other end of the square on each side öf the porch, have three balconies each. The total number, for the four minarets, yields ten balconies, all with corbelling in stalactites. Three beautiful doors whose openings are formed of flattened curues are each surmounted by an ogee arch and give access through the frontage and the two other sides of the courtyard.

A cloister of twenty four arcades runs around and is supported by an equal number of columns. The pair closest to the door in the facade are of porphyry;  of the remainder, twelve columns of pink granite alternate with ten of white marble. All are of the crystallized order. Their capitals are of white marble, and the edges of their stalactites heavily gilded.

The door of the nave is a niche decorated with stalactites, also fashioned from gilded white marble in a design of great purity and aspect of true monumentality. The proportions are large. Two other smaller niches are located along each side at half the distance between the entrance to the nave and the courtyard wall. The windows of the porch have quadrangular bays surmounted by ogee arches lavishly decorated with glazed tiles that have a royal blue ground on which beautiful Arabic letters are interlaced, tracing out in pure white sacred verses from the Quran.

A very simple fountain, in the form of a parallelogram with four vertical faces and covered by a zinc roof, occupies the center of the square. Its decoration, sober and gracious, consists of a metal grill painted in emerald green and an openwork lattice of geometrical rosettes, above which runs a frieze of white marble carued with broad leaves whose hearts are slightly tinted aquamarine.

The court is entirely paved with enormous flagstones of white marble, except for the passage which gives access, through the porch, inside the mosque. There, in front of.the main door, is placed a round monolithic flagstone of the richest porphyry with a diameter of approximately two meters.

Be that as it may, afterpassing over the legendary porphyry flagstone, we enter the nave, where we first of all are overcome by our admiration of the lofty and vast cupola of the dome, painted in a wash of clear tones of blue, white, and gold. These three colors form the basis of the entire decorative harmony of the building: its paintings, sculptures, precious marbles, tiles, etc, both inside and out. Everywhere, the white and blue dominate the white especially. A few pink granite and porphyry columns or insets, a few lines the color of blood, freshen the light without interrupting this harmony; the gildings of the stalactites are everywhere applied with a solemnity that does not disturb the tranquility.

Another curiosity worthy of remark, and which could be proposed as an example to architects, is the following one: tunnels dug in the ground and faced with solid masonry, lead from the interior of the mosque to external tanks that are used for the distribution of water to all the dependencies of the Süleymaniye. The famous architect of this mosque, Master Sinan, combined this supply so as to take advantage of it in order to maintain inside the nave a mild and uniform temperature. By means of wooden trap doors that are located all over the central part of the floor of the nave, the air contained in these underground tunnels is fed into the mosque, where, as a result, the temperature is always warm in winter and cool in summer.

All the inscriptions that decorate the Süleymaniye were executed by the famous calligrapher Hasan Çelebi, who is buried beside his master in Sütlüce by the Sweet Teaters of Europe. Among the outstanding calligraphic ornamentation one should particularly mention the large rosettes of glazed tiles adorned with white letters on a royal blue ground and framed by borders of foliage executed in turquoise blue which decorate the two sides of the mihrab. Like the pulpitp laced to its left, the mihrab is made of white marble, cazved in stalactites that are gilded with gold. The marble plates composing the pulpit number only four. The gate and base are formed of single slabs and measure eight meters, one in its length and the other in its height.

T'hese are also the measurements of the niche in which the mihrab is set. The imperial loge, situated at the right, is also of white. It is supported by porphyry columns with capitals in the crystallized order that are fashioned of gilded white marble. There are two richly decorated fountains that are intended for ablutions. The door of this loge is, like all the woodwork of the building, engulfed in carved geometric rosettes. A kürsü (pulpit) abutting the pillar closer to the imperial loge is also worthy of mentioning for the remarkable

Excecution of work of this last kind, in which walnut has been finely cut with open-work and carved with boldness and delicacy. At the other end of the nave, on the pillar on the opposite side, the balcony of the müezzin is set. Simpler, but almost as beautiful as the imperial loge, it is also of the crystallized order. Behind the muezzin's balcony along the low sides, is located the library, separated from the nave by a superb screen of brass worked in rococo ornamentation. It was repaired during the reign of Sultan Mahmud I by his grand vizier, Mustafa Pasha. More recently, this screen was renovated by Ahmed Vefik Efendi.

In one honorable exception the tomb of Master Sinan was respected, and thus, thanks to the very special indulgence of the sovereign, one may see still see standing over the slab of white marble, the grandmaster Ottoman architecture, the typical turban of the haseki corps. The principal dependencies of the Süleymaniye are: a special college for the study of the oral traditions of the Prophet; four higher schools (medreses); a preparatory college for the sciences; a school of medicine; a primary school; a kitchen and hospice for students; a great public bath; and a very famous asylum for lunatics.

Tomb
Located in the Süleymaniye Mosque Complex, the mausoleum of Sultan Süleyman, the Magnificent was designed by the Architect Sinan in 1566. The kiblah side of the mosque has a covered cemetery with a great number of graves, the tombs of Süleyman, the Magnificent and his wife Hürrem Sultan and a room for the keeper of the tombs. The octagonal mausoleum has an impressive dome and its exterior is ornamented with marble and mirrors, while the interior walls are covered with glazed tiles. Ceramic tiles with decorative plant motif are used in the tombs and have artistic value.

This is the tomb of the great architect Sinan, who lived to be ninety-nine years old and was for 50 years the extremely esteemed and respected chief architect of the empire. Sinan was a diligent and productive architect who left over four hundred works behind him. He is the most important figure in classical Turkish architecture, of which he was the originator. His apprentices created masterpieces not only in the empire, but also in other Islamic countries.

In the tomb belonging to Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent are the remains of Sultan Ahmed II, his wife Rabia Sultan, daughters Mihrimah Sultan and Asiye Sultan, and Sultan Süleyman II and his mother Saliha Dilaşub Sultan. Sultan Ahmed II and Sultan Süleyman II were interred beside Süleyman the Magnificent in the grounds of the Süleymaniye Camii.

Hospital
The clinic, hospital, mental asylum and infirmary are located in the northwest of the complex parallel to the kiblah. A part of the medical school located alongside of these two madrasahs collapsed during the road opening work and the rest of it was turned into a hospital. The building located on the right side of the Medical School and the crossband of the coutryard of the mosque was used as an insane asylum during the Ottoman Empire era.

Darüzziyafe
The soup kitchen of the complex the Darüzziyafe, functions today as a restaurant serving classical Turkish cuisine.

Medresse
The medresse of complex is found to the east and west of the mosque along the walls of the inner courtyard. To the west is the Evvel Medresse, Sani Medresse, Primary School, Medical West; the Rabi Medresse and Salis Medresse are located to the east. The Darülhadis Medresse intersect. It is a single hamam for men only and was restored in 1980 after being used as a store room for a period.

Hamam
The hamam of the complex is located where Rabi Medrese and Darülhadis Medrese intersect. It is a single hamam for men only and was restored in 1980 after being used as a store room for a period.

Tabhane
Tabhane (the hostel attached to a mosque where travelers (usually dervishes and mystics) could live free for three days) are located on the road toward the northwest part of the complex and over against the courtyard.

Library
There are six madrasahs of the complex with the Medical School. Those madrasahs toward the direction of Bayezit are Evvel Madrasah (Elementary School) and Sani Madrasah (Secondary School) which are used as the Suleymaniye Library.

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MAHMUD PAŞA MOSQUE COMPLEX

Mahmutpaşa, Fatih - Istanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'41.0"N 28°58'17.0"E / 41.011389, 28.971389



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In the borough of Eminönü this complex is located on the north east side of Nuruosmaniye Complex and comprised of a mosque, tomb, hamam, a inn (commercial building generating income for the complex), a higher education school, soup kitchen and a school for young boys.

Today all that remains is the mosque, tomb, inn and hamam. This complex was the first ministrial complex and with the Fatih Complex is the most important group of buildings dating from 15th century. Construction was started in early 1460, the mosque being completed by 1462 and the other sections were completed by 1474. The complex was built by Arhitect Atik Sinan on the orders of the Prime Minister Mahmud Paşa.

Roofed by two big domes with three smaller ones surrounding them, the interior tiles with white calligraphy on a blue background were added at a later date. The pulpit and altar were made of carved marble and there are six carved stone columns supporting the five domes and smaller domes cover the surrounding corridors. Over the mihrap is an inscription with the date 868 (hegira calendar) pertaining to the date of the buildings completion. The surrounds of the gate are carved marble.

In 1766 the mosque was destroyed by an earthquake and was rebuilt in 1785. After the Great Fire of 1827 it was restored in 1829. Due to the repeated repairs much of the ornamentation is not original. The single balconied minaret built of cut-stone took it final shape after the 1936 restoration.

Mahmut Paşa's tomb is in the mosque garden and there is a fountain built by Mustafa Ağa in the courtyard. Mahmut Paşa Hamam and the Kürkçü Han (Furriers building) are İstanbul's oldest hamam and han, located to the north of the mosque. Of the school located to the east of the mosque there remains today only one classroom.

Mahmud Paşa (d. 1474), a devsirme from Serbia, was the grand-vizier of Mehmed II between 1453-66 and 1472-74 and is known also as a poet and a patron of the arts. The complex he built inside the city walls following the fall of Constantinople consists of a mosque, a madrasa (medrese), a han, public baths (hamam) and his mausoleum (türbe). The law court (mahkeme), Koranic school (sübyan mektebi) and the soup kitchen (imaret) are not extant. The madrasa of the complex has been ruined save its large classroom (dersane).

The mosque of the complex was completed in 1464 (869 A.H.) and thoroughly renovated during the rule of Sultan Osman III in 1753 (1169 A.H.) It has since been restored twice, in 1828 and 1936. It is composed of a two-unit prayer hall flanked by eyvans to the east and west and preceded by a vestibule and a portico to the north. The portico was altered in the 18th century when its six marble columns were encased in stone piers. Its five bays are covered by domes.

The mosque, which is considered to be the primary structure of the complex, was built to a great extent according to the first Ottoman Architectural style. A good example of early Ottoman architecture, the mosque measures 25.45 x 11.9 m and the central dome is 11 m in diameter. There are 18 domes, including the two domes covering the main space of the mosque.

The mosque, heavily damaged in a fire, was renovated by Sultan Osman III in 1755. The mosque, which was ruined during the earthquake of 1766, was restored in 1785. The mosque was opened for service in 1829 after the fire of 1827.

The interior decorations lost their features due to the repeated repairs and rebuilding in 1936. The altar and pulpit were renewed in the 18th century and the royal chamber was installed in 1828. The single balconied minaret built of cut-stone, took its current shape after the restoration in 1936. The fountain and sebil in the mosque’s courtyard were built between 1618 and 1622.

The mosque, which is considered to be the primary structure of the complex, was built to a great extent according to the first Ottoman Architectural style. The grand portal with inscriptions leads into a three-bay vestibule extended with vaulted rooms on either end. Its central bay, which opens to the prayer hall through a tall arch, is crowned with a stalactite cross vault. Its neighboring bays have umbrella vaults composed of 24 ribs.

The prayer hall consists of two domed units separated by a grand arch. Its interior of the prayer hall, including the mihrab and minbar, was renovated in the 19th century. The sultan's box (hünkar mahfili) to the left was added by Sultan Mahmud II in 1828-9. (A.H. 1244). There is an inscription on the qibla gate (to the shrine) of the mosque which reveals the year when it was built.

Doors on either side open to corridors that run alongside the prayer hall, giving access to three open eyvans, ending at the vestibule. Here, small passages lead to side exits. The mosque has a single minaret on the northwest corner, which is accessed from the room to the west of the vestibule. Here, small passages lead to side exits. Its stalactite balcony was replaced with a simpler design in 1936. The stone panels of the exterior were replaced in time. A contemporary ablution fountain stands in the plaza before the mosque.

The mosque has a single minaret on the northwest corner, which is accessed from the room to the west of the vestibule. Its stalactite balcony was replaced with a simpler design in 1936. The stone panels of the exterior were replaced in time. A contemporary ablution fountain stands in the plaza before the mosque.

The han, called the Kürkçü or Furriers' Han, is located down the Mahmud Paşa Highway from the hamam. It was completed in 1476 (871 A.H.) It had 167 rooms on two stories organized around two open courtyards and a basement for storage. The first courtyard is a replica of Fidan Han in the market neighborhood of Bursa, built also by Mahmud Paşa. It has remained intact save its portico, which was enclosed for additional space.

The second courtyard, irregular in plan with five unequal sides, was probably used for stables and storage. It is now largely replaced with modern shops and buildings. A freestanding assembly of shops, placed diagonally inside the first courtyard, used to have a mescid on its second floor. It is the only han that has come to our day from the Sultan Mehmed I era.

In addition, a bath, one of the oldest of Istanbul (1466), a water fountain or sabil (sebil), built by Mustafa Ağa (the chief officer of the Ottoman Palace), are the other structures which have made their way to the present day. Finally, there is only one classroom remaining from the madrasah of the complex.

Mahmud Paşa and his son are buried in an octagonal tomb to the south of the mosque. The exterior of the tomb is covered with stone panels that are inlaid with blue-green tiles between the cornice and the lower windows that are arranged in a pattern of interlocking wheels and stars. The domed interior is entered through a double arched door to the northeast. Built in 1473 (878 A.H), a year prior to the execution of Mahmud Paşa by Mehmed II, the tomb was restored by architect Mustafa Ayaşlı in 1946.

Hamam
The hamam, built in 1466 (871 A.H.), is located on the Mahmud Paşa highway leading up to the mosque. It consists of an entrance hall with latrines, a cold-room (sogukluk) and a hot-room (sıcaklık). The entry to the baths is adorned with a grand muqarnas portal beyond which the entrance hall looms large with its tall dome measuring 27 meters in diameter. Entering the smaller cold-room under a demi-dome, the square space with two eyvans and private bathing cells (halvet) is covered with a whorl dome.

The dome, 17 m in diameter, covering the frigidarium of the bath, which was built in 1466 - 1467, two years after the Pasha died, is impressive. The women’s section of the bath, damaged many times by fires, was destroyed, and Abud Efendi Han was built in the same place in 1895. It is the second oldest Ottoman bath in İstanbul and today it serves as a market.

The following hot room has an octagonal navel stone (göbektaşı) at its center under a dome pierced with lights that sits on eight piers. It has five eyvans with taps and basins between the piers and two other eyvans give access to private cells at the four corners of the chamber. A han stands today on the site of the women's section that was demolished. The remaining men's section survived damage by fire in 1755 and was restored in 1955.

Han (Caravanserai)
The han, called the Kürkçü or Furriers' Han, is located down the Mahmud Paşa Highway from the hamam. It was completed in 1476 (871 A.H.) It had 167 rooms on two stories organized around two open courtyards and a basement for storage. The first courtyard is a replica of Fidan Han in the market neighborhood of Bursa, built also by Mahmud Paşa.

It has remained intact save its portico, which was enclosed for additional space. The second courtyard, irregular in plan with five unequal sides, was probably used for stables and storage. It is now largely replaced with modern shops and buildings. A freestanding assembly of shops, placed diagonally inside the first courtyard, used to have a mescid on its second floor. It is the only han that has come to our day from the Sultan Mehmed I era.

Madrasah
The madrasa of the complex has been ruined save its large classroom (dersane). From the madrasah completed in 1472, there remains today only its classroom.

Sebil
A water fountain or sabil (sebil), built by Mustafa Ağa, the chief officer of the Ottoman Palace.

Tomb
Mahmud Paşa and his son are buried in an octagonal tomb to the south of the mosque. The exterior of the tomb is covered with stone panels that are inlaid with blue-green tiles between the cornice and the lower windows that are arranged in a pattern of interlocking wheels and stars. The domed interior is entered through a double arched door to the northeast. Built in 1473 (878 A.H), a year prior to the execution of Mahmud Paşa by Sultan Mehmed II, the tomb was restored in 1946.

Mahmut Pasha was executed in 1474, and adorning his tomb which resembles Seljuk architecture, the figures of tiles are unique and can be seen nowhere else. With 7.37 m diameter, the dome’s original epigraph was removed after the renovation of 1827 and a short inscription was replaced instead. Mahmud Paşa, the tomb’s builder, is burried in the domed tomb composed of limestone (küfeki taşı) blocks on an octagonal plan.

The türbe is octagonal and has windows on 7 sides and a door without porch on the eighth.The domed interior is entered through a double arched door to the northeast.The türbe is remarkable for the indigo, blue and green glazed bricks which decorate it sexterior walls forming interlocking wheels and star patterns.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



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HAMMAMHANE HOTEL AND HAMMAM

Firuzağa, Beyoğlu - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°01'54.4"N 28°58'49.9"E / 41.031778, 28.980528



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

HAMMAM
Hamams (Baths) are the places where the people get washed and rest together. Like many other important things in history, the hamam also was a product of Roman civilization. Roman Baths contributed to Roman citizens’ health and social life for centuries, dissapeared along with Western and Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empires.

TURKISH HAMMAM
The Turks first met bathhouse in the tenth century in Anatolia which was a Roman Empire land then. During Seljuk and Ottoman Empires they developed these baths according to their own needs and called them hamams. Turkish Hamams became famous all over the world as ‘Turkish Baths’ are still serve people in Turkey and some Balkan countries.

CUKURCUMA HAMMAM
Construction date of Çukurcuma Hammam is not known exactly. It was rebuilt in the 1800’s, then continued its activity until 2006, by having some renovations from time to time. The hotel is built around the historic Çukurcuma Hamamı, a derelict Turkish bath where art installations are often displayed. Hammamhane has just been granted permission to restore the steambath to its original marble-clad glory.

Construction date of Historical Çukurcuma Hamamı is not known exactly. It was rebuilt in the 1800’s, then continued its activity until 2006, by having some renovations from time to time. In some books, it is indicated that the famous greek poet Constantine P. Cavafy is lived in the Istanbul in the early 1880’s and often visited Çukurcuma Hamam.

The focus point of our Hammamhane project has been this old lovely Historical Çukurcuma Hamamı. The ongoing restoration will be completed in Spring of 2018 and Çukurcuma Hamamı will be ready to welcome its guests.

HAMMAMHANE

The best thing about Hammamhane’s 14 designer rooms is the fact that all can sleep a family of three. Up to four guests can squeeze into the two terrace suites that have balconies over the rear breakfast garden.

STUDIO WITH FRENCH BALCONY
Stylish furnished 30 sqm studios offer more space than ordinary hotel rooms.

SUITE WITH TERRACE
Stylish furnished 40 sqm studio with fully equipped kitchen, spacious private terrace with view Galata Tower.

FAMILY SUITE WITH GARDEN
Stylish furnished 62 sqm studio with fully kitchen appliances, Two rooms connected and entrance to our patio.

FLATS

STUDIO
Room Size : 30 sqm (323 sqf), Bed Type : Double or Twin Extra Bed : 1 Stylish furnished 30 sqm studios offer more space than ordinary hotel rooms. Airconditioned, cork floor heating system, Flat screen LCD full HD TV international channels, smart TV hubs with internet access and usb connection. Free wifi in all rooms and hotel areas. Fully equipped kitchen; refrigerator, stovetop, microwave, dishwasher, dish cleaning supplies. Dishes, glasses, silverware and pans. Washing machines & dryer and supplies. Bathroom amenities; bathrobe, slippers, hairdryer, shower jel, hair conditioner, shampoo. A bottle of water, cafesimmo coffee machine, and tea facilities, working desk. Dining area, rain forest shower on marble floor and goose pillows.

SUITE W TERRACE
Stylish furnished 40 sqm studio with fully equipped kitchen, spacious private terrace with view Galata Tower. Cork floor heating system,airconditioned. Flat screen LCD full HD TV international channels, smart TV hubs with internet access and usb connection. Free wifi in all rooms and hotel areas. Room Size : 40 sqm (431 sqf), Bed Type : Double, Extra Bed : 1

Fully equipped kitchen; refrigerator, stovetop, microwave, dishwasher, dish cleaning supplies. Dishes, glasses, silverware and pans. Washing machines & dryer and supplies. Bathroom amenities; bathrobe, slippers, hairdryer, shower jel, hair conditioner, shampoo. A bottle of water, cafesimmo  coffee machine, and tea facilities, working desk.  Dining area,rain forest shower on marble floor and goose pillows.

FAMILY SUITE W GARDEN
Stylish furnished 62 sqm studio with fully kitchen appliances, Two rooms connected and entrance to our patio. Room Size : 62 sqm (667 sqf), Bed Type : Double + 2 Single, Extra Bed : 1

Airconditioned, cork floor heating system, Flat screen LCD full HD TV international channels, smart TV hubs with internet access and usb connection. Free wifi in all rooms and hotel areas. Fully equipped kitchen; refrigerator, stovetop, microwave, dishwasher, dish cleaning supplies. Dishes, glasses, silverware and pans. Washing machines & dryer and supplies. Bathroom amenities; bathrobe, slippers, hairdryer, shower jel, hair conditioner, shampoo. A bottle of water, cafesimmo  coffee machine, and tea facilities, working desk.  Dining area, rain forest shower on marble floor and goose pillows.

CLEANING

Our hotel steam cleaning equipment works without chemicals, using very little water, and runs on electricity to provide your housekeeping staff or cleaning crew with a highly efficient and effective way to clean multiple spaces in less time. Our hotel cleaning equipment can be used to sanitize mattresses, eliminate bed bugs, spot clean carpets, clean and restore marble surfaces including flooring, without harsh chemicals that can leave behind strong odors that can aggravate guests.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Çukurcuma Hammam

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : info@hammamhane.com
Phone : +90 212 293 4963
Fax : +90 212 293 4965

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PALAZZO CORPI

Beyoğlu - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°01'49.6"N 28°58'24.0"E / 41.030450, 28.973335



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

In the year 1830, a young Genoese shipowner named Ignazio Corpi established himself at Constantinople with his mother, sister and one or more brothers. Signor Corpi and his family prospered, becoming prominent in local charitable activities on behalf of indigent and elderly Latin Catholics. The Corpis were instrumental in building the local Italian hospital, which functions to this day. In 1873, Signor Corpi called the architect Giacomo Leoni from Italy, and charged him with building a palatial residence that would bear the Corpi family’s name.

Georgio Stampa, another architect, who worked on the British and Persian embassies and other important buildings in Constantinople at that time, apparently also took part in Palazzo Corpi’s construction. Most of the building materials were imported from Italy - doors and window frames of rosewood from Piemonte, and marble flooring and facings from Carrara. The ground-floor reception hall was remarkable for the beauty of frescoes representing mythological scenes, while frescoes over the grand stairway and Great Hall upstairs represented Bacchic and other classical subjects.

To the magnificent frescoes were added finely etched glasswork, inlaid parquet floors, elegant fireplaces and other exquisite artistic/architectural features too numerous to mention. All the frescoes were executed by Italian artists brought to Constantinople by the architect Leoni. Sadly, during a "renovation" in 1937, the walls and ceilings on the ground floor were plastered and/or painted over.

Left untouched on the ceiling of the upstairs Great Hall, but vulnerable to annual accumulations of Istanbul grime, were depictions of Diana, Neptune, eight Muses, various Graces, Bacchantes and other mythological figures. These decorations remained largely hidden until 1992, when a series of expert restorations undertaken by post management with the cooperation of Turkish artisans and the Department’s Office of Overseas Buildings Operations gradually returned them to their original splendor.

It is recorded that Palazzo Corpi’s construction, which spanned the entire decade of the 1870s. The building was barely finished when Ignazio Corpi died, and the Palazzo was inherited by his nephews, who rented it to the American government starting in 1882. The circumstances under which the U.S. government assumed outright possession of Palazzo Corpi in 1907 make a fascinating and dramatic story in its own right.

Palazzo Corpi is an Italianate villa constructed in the 1870s in the historic Beyoğlu district of what was then the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The U.S. government leased the villa as alegation facility and residence and then purchased it from the Corpi family in 1906 for use as the embassy and official residence of the U.S. ambassador. With the move of the embassy to the new capital city, Ankara, in 1937, the villa became the U.S. Consulate General until its relocation to a new facility in 2003.

As one of the first real estate purchases by the U.S. government to house a diplomatic mission, the building is unquestionably imbued with history. That is why in 2004 the U.S. Congress required the government to maintain ownership of the property even after relocation of the consulate general. The site symbolizes the U.S.-Turkey relationship, from the fall of the Ottoman Empire and founding of the new republic to Turkey’s accession to NATO.

The preservation of the palazzo presented planners from the State Department’s Office of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) with a challenge and an opportunity. Responding to the congressional mandate, OBO signed a 51-year lease with a development company in 2008 to restore and expand the complex as a luxury hotel. Once completed, the project will include more than 160,000 square feet of internal space and house a hotel with 84 rooms, conference facilities, a club bar and two restaurants.

SOHO HOUSE ISTANBUL

In its work, the development company preserved historic details of the palazzo, which is protected under Turkish historic preservation laws. Experts worked for months to restore and renew such unique characteristics as the hand-painted scenes on its ceilings and walls, and its intricate plaster moldings and woodwork.

Two other historic structures on the site, the former chancery and annex, are also being repurposed. The annex was built as an apartment building during the same era and was later the home of the "Constantinople Club" until it was purchased by the U.S. in 1949 as consulate office space. It will now house the hotel’s suites and a café.

The chancery, an extension of the palazzo built in 1910, was designed by a Washington, D.C., architect who also designed the Washington, D.C., mansion that became the Turkish Embassy in 1932. It is now the residence of the Turkish ambassador.

The developers worked closely with OBO’s Architectural Design branch and the Cultural Heritage Program and Consulate General Istanbul, coordination that has allowed the CG Istanbul management team and front office to follow the work closely.

The latest outpost of Soho House, in Palazzo Corpi, has history in spades. Built by a Genoese shipping magnate with a penchant for Carrara marble floors and Italian rosewood, the palazzo served as the US embassy until its all-too-ostentatious location forced its move to safer suburbs in 2003.

Open since spring 2015, the palazzo’s renovated refinement pans from original frescoes to 1,000-crystal chandeliers. Contemporary accoutrements include a private hammam and a rooftop splashpool (watch the Golden Horn sunset as you cool off). However, Soho House is far from cheap, but even the budget-conscious might wish to splash out for a night in a room with Ottoman-inspired art-deco furnishings.

The club has 87 bedrooms, Drawing Room, Games Room, Dining Room, Club Bar, Embassy Club, Pantry Kitchen, Mandolin Terrace, Cecconi’s, Cowshed Active, Cowshed Relax with two hamam rooms and a 57-seat Screening Room

ROOM
87 ROOMS
OF VARIOUS SIZES, INCLUDING 17 MEZZANINE ROOMS AND ONE APARTMENT

Tinny Room : Intimate and cosy, our Tiny rooms are 26 sqm and have king-size beds
Small Room : Measuring 27 – 30 sqm, our Small rooms have super king-size beds
Medium Room : Our spacious 40 – 47 sqm bedrooms feature super king-size beds
Medium Plus : Measuring 45 – 55 sqm, our Medium Plus rooms have super king-size beds
Small Mezzanine Room : Our 34 – 44 sqm Small Mezzanine rooms are set over two floors in the historic Annex building, offering king-size beds
Medium Mezzanine Room : Over two floors in the historic Annex building, our 49 – 68 sqm Medium Mezzanine rooms feature king-size beds
Large Mezzanine Room : Measuring 72-82 sqm, and set over two floors in the historic Annex building, Large Mezzanine rooms feature super king-size beds
Playroom : Our 83 sqm Playroom in the historic Annex building has double-height ceilings, a super king-size bed

THE APARTMENT
A VAST MODERN SPACE FOR LONG AND SHORT TERM LETS
A vast 282 sqm modern space including a 129 sqm terrace available to hire for short- to long-term lets. Offering a super king-size bed, walk-in rainforest shower and bathtub, fully integrated kitchen and bar, dining table seating 10, living space, a large terrace with a Jacuzzi and a BBQ, the Apartment is the perfect base to lodge, live and entertain in Istanbul.

FOOD AND DRINK

The Allis Istanbul
Housed in the Glass Building, the Allis Istanbul serves light breakfasts and lunches, mezzes in the evening and Afternoon Tea from 3-6 pm, as well as coffee, fresh juices and craft cocktails. The lunch and dinner menu changes daily. Open all day to the general public, this lounge and bar with outdoor seating and views of the Palazzo Corpi, is a relaxed and sociable place for meetings, a quick bite to eat or late-night cocktails.

Cecconi's Istanbul
In the courtyard of the 19th century Palazzo Corpi Building, Cecconi’s is a modern day classic Italian restaurant open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Brunch is served on Sunday. Tables are available indoors or outdoors, set among the garden’s olive trees.

The Cowshed Spa and hammam are where members and non-members can relax and unwind. Again, members enjoy a discount on all treatments here as well. Neville inside the spa offers ‘British grooming for gents’ from haircuts to beard shaping, and if that is not enough you can treat yourself to everything from pedicures and facials to massages and hammam packages, all performed applying Cowshed cosmetic products.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Soho House İstanbul

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : membership@sohohouse.com
Phone : +90 212 377 71 00

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NORDSTERN INN

Karaköy, Beyoğlu - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°01'21.4"N 28°58'28.2"E / 41.022606, 28.974502



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

Nordstern Han was built by Ottoman Jewish banker Rafael Salomon Kamondo, in 1889. The Italian architect Guilio Mongeri designed this building.

NORDSTERN HOTEL GALATA

Nordstern Hotel Galata, located at the heart of Karaköy with its historic fabric represents neo-gothic style through its façade with fancy double lancet windows, engaged columns and column caps between windows and decorative moldings between floors.

ROOMS
Moving seamlessly from historic spaces, the rooms and suites are contemporary yet serene, designed with meticulous detail.

Executive Double Room, Deluxe Double Room, Executive Double Room With Sea View, Deluxe Suit Room With Sea View

TURKISH BATH
We are offering a traditional service to our guests. You’ll have a truly wonderful time at the Nordstern Hotel Galata’s Hammam

MASSAGE
Nordstern Hotel Galata is proud to present you with a serene and peaceful atmosphere where you can experience purity of spirit for you and your loved ones, away from the chaos of everyday life. A wide selection of massages are also available for you to rest your mind and relax. The Steam room stimulates perspiration and is ideal for warming up and relaxing.

CONCIERGE
Our concierge staff can assist you with many services including theater tickets, sightseeing tours, transportation to and from local airports, restaurant reservations, florists, and more. If you have any special requests please feel free to contact us prior to your arrival so that we can service all your needs.

FITNESS CENTER
Guests of the hotel can use the newly renovated and equipped Mini Fitness center during their stay for free of charge between 08:00 and 22:00, 7 days per week.

LAUNDRY SERVICE
Our professional laundry and dry cleaning services are available at a reasonable rate for all guests of the hotel. All laundry services are on-site and handled with the utmost care and convenience. Guests may order laundry & dry cleaning services from their rooms with the provided in-room laundry bag and billing list or call the Front Desk for assistance.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Nordstern Hotel Galata

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : info@nordsternhotelgalata.com
Phone : +90 212 358 2222
Fax : +90 212 293 0332

These scripts and photographs are registered under © Copyright 2018, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.

AĞA HAMAMI since 1454

Çukurcuma, Beyoğlu - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°01'59.1"N 28°58'54.9"E / 41.033083, 28.981917



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

The Historical Ağa hamamı (turkish bath) was constructed by Fatih Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. Ağa Turkish bath was used as a private hamam by Mehmed the Conqueror and his sons. At that time, Beyoglu District was not a settlement area and the Padishahs would come to Beyoglu District for hunting. Mehmed the Conqueror constructed this building as a hunting house in 1454.

Ağa hamamı was designed as a hamam below the two flats above. It underwent a large-scale renovation in 1844 by Sultan Abdülmecid. It was used by the Sultans and their sons until the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

With the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, the Ottoman Empire ended. In those days a Armenian woman bought the Ağa hamamı (turkish bath) and it first opened to public. She decided sold the Ağa hamamı to Huseyin Yilmaz. Due to his old age, Huseyin Yilmaz sold it to his nephew Ali Yilmaz in May 1974 after thirty four years of operation. The last renovation was in 1986 by Ali Yilmaz. It serves only tourists mixed hamam in istanbul for over ten years.

It is a three-floor building sitting on a 650 sqm of land. The first two floors were built as the house and the entrance floor as the Ağa Hamamı. The exterior and the top of hammam (a skylight dome with round frames) were designed to receive the daylight from sunrise to sunset.

The hammam has a 250 sqm section at the back to heat it. In those years this section was named "kulhan". This building was influenced by the classic era that began at the end of the 15th century. Many buildings that were constructed by Fatih Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror right after the Conquest of Constantinople followed this trend.

The internal structure consists of sections called "soyunmalık, ılıklık and sıcaklık" (changing rooms and the sections for warming up and heating up respectively). Apart from these sections, the installations section takes up a huge room. This section consists of the water reservoir, kulhan and cehennemlik (literally "hell room"). The most voluminous spaces in Ağa Hamamı are usually the changing rooms. The house and the hammam have very high ceilings which extend up to 3.5 meters. High ceilings are the most prominent features of historical buildings.

Cold Halvet (Private Small Room)
It is the first entrance section of the hamam, it is not a very hot section. It is the section used to cool off when it becomes uncomfortably hot for you.

Hot Section (Inside Of Hamam) And Center Stone
This is the section mainly used by tourists. It is the bathing and sweating section. It contains the center stone which is heated from below. You can lie on it and relax.

Hot Halvet
Consists of two small rooms. Only used for bathing. Each room has three kurnas (marble tubs in which hot and cold water from two taps are mixed). It is one of the hottest sections.

Külhan (Furnace)
This is the section from which the hamam is heated. The Ağa hamam has been heated with traditional methods for years. It is heated by wood fire. Woods are lit in the kulhan section and the heat circulates under the hamam. While many hamams in Istanbul are heated with natural gas, the Ağa hamam is heated by wood fire, which allows experiencing a privilege in heat. Heat provided by natural gas can never be the same as that of wood fire.

Entrance
Welcome to Ağa hamamı. Choose the pack you desire at the entrance, go into the room exclusively for you, wrap around your pestemal, lock up your room and go let yourself enjoy the comfort on marble.

Kese (special bath glove)
It is a cleaning method which has been used since the initial years of Ottoman Empire. Your skin gets softer as the result of perspiration in the hamam, with the help of a kese dead skin is removed and skin pores are opened.

Foam Bath
It is a method used to clean the body following the kese process. Leave yourself into the hands of the masseur/masseuse and feel the comfort. Experiencing this feeling at the Aga hamam is a privilege.

Oil Massage
Oil massage is a type of massage known worldwide. It was first applied by the Chinese three thousand years ago. Massage is applied to ease pains, reduce swellings, relax muscles and to accelerate recovery from contraction and sprain resulting from injury. Contrary to popular belief, massage does not prevent weakening of muscle strength. It is a very old method for relaxing and recreation. We offer to you the oil massage with the Turkish bath (hamam) culture.

Face Mask
Ağa Hamamı apply face mask to clean face after Hamam. Skin pores will be clean and open in the hamam. if you get face mask, your face will be soft and cleaner.

Exit
While you exit the hamam, we change your pestemal and towel, then you go into your room and put on your clothes. We also recommend you to let your soul have a rest at our oriental corner with a Turkish tea.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Ağa Hamamı

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : huseyin@agahamami.com
Phone : +90 212 249 5027

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BÜYÜK HAMAM since 1533

Kasımpaşa, Beyoğlu - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°02'00.2"N 28°58'06.5"E / 41.033389, 28.968472



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

If you are looking for a local hamam turkish bath taste here we are waiting for you. Buyuk Hamam is almost 500 year-old historical turkish bath located just in the heart of the town; istanbul and turkish bath means “Kasımpaşa Büyük Hamam”

Büyük hamam was built in 1533 by Sinan the architect in Kasımpaşa. It is historical old turkish bath that still keeps traditional way.

There are spacious and bright changing places in both women's and men's sections. There is a large and modern swimming pool in the Hammam. This pool is only serving to the men and can be used by paying an extra fee. The magnificence of the bathhouse is unfolded by the 60 marble basins inside.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Büyük Hamam

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : info@buyukhamam.net
Phone : +90 212 253 4229 / +90 212 238 9800

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BEYAZIT HAMAM

Beyazit, Fatih - İstanbul - Turkey

GPS : 41°00'35.2"N 28°57'41.5"E / 41.009778, 28.961528



PHOTOGRAPHS ALBUM

The Bayezid II Hammam dates back to the 16th century, when Sultan Bayezid II commissioned it as part of the complex around the nearby Beyazit Mosque. In recent decades the hammam had fallen into disrepair, but it was restored as part of Istanbul University in 2015.

This hammam is also known as the place where rebel leader Patrona Halil worked as a bath attendant. His bloody uprising became the subject of several works by Orientalist painter Jean Baptiste Vanmour, and it is seen as marking the end of Sultan Ahmet III's Tulip Era.

The Beyazit Hamam is located in Istanbul's Beyazit district on Ordu Street. The structure has separate sections for both men and women. The entrance door of the women’s section is on Kimyager Derviş Paşa Street and the door of men’s section is on Ordu Street.

One enters the men’s section from the camekan, a court surrounded by small individual changing rooms roofed by a dome. From there, one passes into the ılıklık (lukewarm section), where four bathrooms covered by small domes and a cleaning room draw the attention of visitors.

There are sofas which are covered by a dome and presumably each one has three kurnas (marble basin) on both the left and right sides of the ılıklık. The harare (hot section) contains halvets roofed by domes. In addition to these, there was originally a marble plinth (göbek taşı) found in each of the four corners of the harare; however, these have not made it into our times.

The women’s section of the hamam is similar to men’s section that the water well that meeted of need of water. The water well responsible for meeting the water needs of the hamam is located near the women’s section behind the Central Library of Istanbul University.

MUSEUM OF TURKISH HAMAM CULTURE

As the Bayezid II Turkish Hammam Culture Museum it displays many items relevant to the Turkish bath, such as copper jugs, water bowls, towels, and bath shoes. Helpful texts in Turkish and English explain the origins and history of Turkish baths in Istanbul, as well as the spread of Turkish baths to Western European cities in the 19th century.

Some archaeological finds discovered during construction at Istanbul University are also displayed in the museum, including pieces from several Byzantine churches and a relief from the Forum of Theodosius.

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Turkish Hammam Culture Museum

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : hamammuzesi@istanbul.edu.tr
Phone : +90 212 444 0000

These scripts and photographs are registered under © Copyright 2017, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.

CİBALİ CISTERN

Cibali, Fatih - İstanbul Turkey

GPS : 41°01'26.3"N 28°57'35.0"E / 41.023972, 28.959722



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Kadir Has University is waiting for municipal consent to start restoration and conservation of the Cibali Cistern under its campus by the Golden Horn. University Rector Mustafa Aydın says the historical structure will serve as another story for the Rezan Has Museum that sits on its upper floor

Dating back to the 11th century, the Cibali Cistern bears an eclectic architectural design because the columns were brought from other structures dating back to later times. The cistern consists of 48 domes and 20 columns. "The archaeologists can discern which piece comes from which century by examining the way the brickwork is laid," Kadir Has University Rector said.  The excavation work consists of uncovering the soil that was dumped on the ground in the following century after the structure stopped functioning as a cistern.

One of these cisterns was built on the area that is now under our school, Kadir Has University. This ancient cistern was built during the Byzantine Era. The cistern was first discovered in 1944 by the Archeological Museum in an excavation. According to academical research by the Istanbul Archeology Museum, it belongs to the 7th century. This academical research was done when this building was being used as Tekel.

However, over the years as the factory expanded and more space was required, and although not officially documented, we can conclude that some reconstruction took place and some of the air ventilation ducts were shut down and other annex buildings were constructed on this site. When the factory finally closed down in 1994 everything was left as it was and no renovation work was carried out. The government then sold the building to a private investor, Kadir Has.

The Has Foundation then began its renovations works and in February 22, 2005 opened their Faculty of Fine Arts. The University’s present car park area sits above the old cistern, it is assumed that when the Tekel factory was built its foundation works covered the whole area thus closing down the air vents and ducts of the cisterns.

It is believed that the ventilation ducts were closed many many years before and the area was used for a different purpose, thus the Has Foundation, when building the campus site, kept the area clear of buildings for future consideration of any re-excavation works that may take place and reserved the area for a car park.

Today, it has been restored with the name of Rezan Has Golden Horn Cultural Museum. In fact, at the moment you enter the cistern, you can feel yourself as if you are living those ancient times, no matter how decrepit it is.

The Rezan Has Golden Horn Cultural Museum documents the rich daily-life of the Golden Horn hidden in its historical texture. It consists of a 48-pillar Byzantine water cistern which is still being restored. The features of the cistern inside the Rezan Has Golden Horn Cultural Museum are its reflections of the Byzantine Era. The very first pillar in the entrance has the motif of leaves and other pillars have the design of the Cross.

These pillars are not in one significant shape and size. They are all different from each other, and because of that historians and archeologists consider that these pillars were taken from parts of other structures. However, as in most of the other cisterns in Istanbul, the Rezan Has cistern also has a parallel pillar design, both horizontally and vertically.

Some corridors have been closed off with bricks. There is a myth about these closed corridors. It is said that the corridors went all the way to Hagia Sophia. The length of the tunnel was believed to start from Cibali and to end at Eminönü.

There is an Ottoman hamam right above, which are exhibiting in the Rezan Has Museum. The hamam dates back to the early 17th century, its makers probably wanted to benefit from the water storage area and therefore they built it on top of the cistern. In the early 19th century, a tobacco factory was built on the asset that was closed in 1970. After the closing, the tobacco factory burned down, later to be taken over and restored by the university, which is entitled to use the asset for 49 years.

After the conquest of Istanbul, it began to be used as a Turkish Bath. The hammam parts were found after some hard work of excavations. According to research the hammam belongs to the 12 th  Century. Historical writings show us that this storage was also used by the workers and soldiers as a shelter before the eve of the Republic being formed during the war years.

Just beside the cistern are remainders of hammam that were left over from the 16th century. This hammam was restored by Dr. Mehmet Alper, who is an architect. The restoration studies of the cistern still continue and it will take at least two years to be opened to the public as a museum. However, being a student or a lecturer at the Kadir Has university gives one an advantage of veiwing the restoration works and the cistern before they are officially opened to the public.

The museum is positioned around this Turkish Bath and the cistern. In the main exhibition hall of the historical structure consisting of 15 columns, many works by explorers, artists and literarians who have investigated the Golden Horn and the daily life of the Golden Horn will be exhibited, supported by documents and academic research. This cistern that witnessed both the Byzantine and the Ottoman era is being awakened from its deep sleep and turned into a museum without touching its historical texture.  

LOCATION SATELLITE MAP



WEB SITE : Kadir Has University Cibali Campus

MORE INFO & CONTACT
E-Mail : danisma@khas.edu.tr
Phone : +90 212 533 6532
Fax : +90 212 533 6515

These scripts and photographs are registered under © Copyright 2017, respected writers and photographers from the internet. All Rights Reserved.