Cağaloğlu Hamam — Attraction in Fatih

The Cagaloglu Hamami experience is in My list of 10 Must Do Things in Istanbul which I feel every discerning traveler would love to undertake This is a spot which is surely not to be missed in Istanbul.

For those of you not familiar with the word Hamami or Hammam, this is a Turkish Bath. Such public baths were mainly constructed during the Ottoman Empire.

Cagaloglu Hamami is the last Hamami to be built in the Ottoman Empire. It dates back to 1741. Walking into this building is like treading on a piece of 277 year old history. I was told that the Turkish government doesn’t allow any interference with the original structure & it is maintained with utmost care to retain it in it’s originality.

Honestly we chose this Hamami over even older & more historic Hamami as this was frequented by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey,John Travolta,Cameron Diaz & a long list of others.Also the reviews spoke about it taking a lot of care towards maintaining the cleanliness of the Hamami which made us zero down on it.

I give this place a 10 on 10 in all departments from the reception, to the service to the experience every bit here is very well executed. Their service especially is unparalleled. My attendant Ms. Ebro was an amazing lady with immense knowledge & she treated me like a Queen.She gave me all the required instructions very clearly in English & explained everything very nicely.The bubble massage which is one of the rituals was like floating on a cloud & was unique & utterly pampering.Also they sanitize the place in a day very frequently & I must applaud them for their excellent cleanliness.There is no dearth of Turkish tea or Turkish delight which is offered to you from time to time. Also the homemade sherbet,the dry fruits which they offer you at the end of the rituals is so delicious.

I had a wonderful chat with the General Manager Mr. Yalçin Karadis who was a thorough gentleman & was kind enough to take me through every bit of this historical Hamami which also has hosted many hen & bachelor parties. They also have a beautiful garden area which can host upto 100 guests. A cafe in the premises & a shop next door.

A few things to keep in mind. Do book at least a day in advance. They have separate sections for men & women. Their staff speak English so you will not face any problem. The price of the services is given in Euros on their website. You can either book online or just call & book like we did & pay at the spot. There is no need to take any additional clothes. They provide you a private room where you can change & keep your valuables & the key of that room remains with you throughout the ritual. Do arrive at least 15 minutes earlier than your...

I was super excited to try this Hamam experience but unfortunately it did not meet expectations.

The Hamam itself is a gorgeous 300 year old building. Its architecture and charm are fabulous.

I was supposed to be in the steam room for 10 minutes but I was left there for over 20 minutes and started to feel very uncomfortable especially as I was visiting in summer and it was as very hot and humid already. My husband and son were left in the steam room on the male side for almost 30 minutes. My son started to feel lightheaded and nauseated. This is super dangerous and truly not acceptable for an establishment of this caliber.

In the actual bath area it was disappointing that they had me lay on a towel for the scrub and massage. The whole point is to lay on the heated marble to relax your muscles and increase your blood flow. The experience was rushed and hurried. I felt the attendant was very very rough with her massage and a few times I even whelped in pain but she continued to be very rough.

I booked the luxury experience which included a 45 minute aromatherapy massage. The massage room was a dingy small room with no lighting. There was no aromatherapy but instead an old damp towel smell. My massage was again very rough and to a point painful. I was beyond disappointed because I paid for a 45 min massage and mine was no more than 25-30 minutes and the attendant did the exact same abbreviated massage that was done at the time of the foam bath. It was hard to relax because there was a small rotating fan that was very loud in the small room.

If you are modest the attendants are not concerned about respecting this. When my massage was over the attendant had me stand up without anything on and had me get into a robe without taking caution to close the door for privacy. Everyone in the relaxation area had full view into the area and it was uncomfortable for me.

It was hard to unwind and relax in the relaxation areas. There was a lot of ambient noise and you could hear people watching videos on their phones, staff talking loudly and other guests in the front reception were very loud. The acoustics carry in this place and there was no concern or efforts made to keep conversations at low decibel levels.

Overall this was a very disappointing experience especially for this price point. We have done other Hamam experiences at half the price that were far more relaxing and therapeutic. This place is more about the hype than the experience. Needless to say I had a very uncomfortable day and night due to moderate muscle pain following...

A Turkish bath is obviously a “must” when visiting Istanbul, and Cagaloglu was the first Hamam that I read about when planning our trip. My friend and I initially hesitated because of the expense, because it isn’t cheap for a relatively short experience; however after doing some research, we found that other Hamams were either not any cheaper or perhaps not as well reviewed! In the end, we both opted for the 60-minute experience to include a massage for our sore tourist feet. It was well worth the splurge, in my opinion. The building itself is gorgeous, from the grand lobby where you are welcomed (and where you end your experience with tea and Turkish delight), to the sauna with marble benches, to the incredible actual Hamam, which I was unable to take a picture of (I, and everyone else, was naked).

Going into our appointment, I had no idea what to expect. I won’t spoil the surprise for anyone here either, but suffice to say, it was an incredible experience that really felt like something authentically Turkish and also one-of-a-kind. Not only is the bath refreshing, but the experience of the Hamam—the light from the dome, the hot and cold splashes of water, the sound of it echoing around this immense marble room—all of it was a sensory experience that I will never forget. It felt like being baptized! My friend and I are both very glad that we opted in for something that became a highlight of our trip to Turkey.

The staff at this Hamam was very helpful, too. We were helpfully guided by hosts outside the venue, on the street, and then warmly greeted at the reception desk and invited to dinner or drinks at the restaurant next door (which is also beautiful, bucolic and blissfully, blissfully quiet, though also not cheap). I am especially thankful to Erdal (Erdan?), who was so, so friendly during our appointment. He said just enough to help me understand what to do, when, and made me feel at ease despite my inexperience with the whole thing. Bathing tourists all day, every day cannot be easy on the nerves sometimes, but he made me feel comfortable and confident throughout the experience.

All in all, I encourage anyone to give this Hamam a try during their visit to Istanbul. Our research found that the expense of Cagaloglu is comparable to other Hamams, but the history and architecture—and service—of this one really make it stand out...