Cemberlitas Turkish Bath
Çemberlitaş Bath also known as Gül Bath (Rose Bath)or Valide Suktan Bath (Mother Sultan Bath) is located in Çemberlitaş, between districts of Beyazıt and Sultanahmet, on Divanyolu near the Grand Bazaar. The bath was built by Nur Banu Sultan, mother of Sultan Murat III., for providing source to Valide-I Atik Mosque and Complex in 1584. The architect of the bath is Architect Sinan. It was established as a double bath with its women’s and men’s sections.
Köprülü Mehmet Pasha Mosque, madrasas and tombs are placed in the opposite of the bath; Vizier Khan is located next to the bath. Çemberlitaş Bath is the masterpiece of baths thanks to Architect Sinan’s simple and elegant architectural artifacts. Architect Sinan, on the one hand, was building mosques, complexes and baths in that period, on the other hand, was trying to find a solution to the problem of water that was insufficient due to increasing population. In the middle of Belgrade Forests a water source was discovered and the water source was claimed to be healthy. Then, as soon as Sinan gave the good news to the Sultan, he started to build foundation of the bath.
Women’s and men’s sections of the building were built as a twin so they are identical of each other. The entrance of men’s part is on the Vizier Khan Street (Vezirhan) and the entrance of women’s part is on the Divanyolu Street. Each of parts is covered by three domes. Hot sections of the baths come away from the architecture of baths so Çemberlitaş Bath comes today as a work of art. There are 4 halvet and in front of the halvets central stones built by Köprülü Mehmet Pasha are placed. With the central stones many sided and 38 basins, the bath is a great image.
The bath, one of Architect Sinan’s last period works, is still attracting the attention of researchers, photographers, foreign and local tourists and is serving every day of the week from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. You can have options of spa massage and smoke room, you will be fascinated by the historical smelling.
