Historical Suleymaniye Hamam R - Since 1550

We (early 30's couple) booked online having read reviews and seen it mentioned on Youtube. Not having done this before & having only arrived the day before we were a little nervous. It was easy to find and we felt at ease right away, the staff were very professional & welcoming; and communicated with us with ease. It is an amazing place with an incredible atmosphere. Your private dressing room is shared by the couple and we were together the whole time. The masseurs were very professional & everything is done with you together and within earshot of other people so you really do relax. Thank you everybody at Suleymaniye Hamam, we had an excellent time!

It is an amazing place with an incredible atmosphere. You can relax in quiet and gorgeous place. Very professional stuff will make you feel like a king.

Authentic and must-try Hamam experience! We were able to reserve a couple session (specially requested two masseurs) in the morning upon the opening hours of the Hamam, and were the only clients at that time. They offered a variety of lengths/services and were very accommodating to our schedule (which was our own loss since we only had 60-minute free). Nonetheless, we were able to experience the whole process. The Suleymaniye building is part of the Sulemaniye Mosque Complex (as described in their website, built in the 1550s by Sinan). From the reception areas to the bath rooms, one can truly experience the settings of and the authenticity of the 'Turkish bath' , feeling like in the palace of the Sultan: especially on the heated, grand marble slab (Göbektasi), transitioning to the peeling and hot/cold soapy body bath by the masseurs, then finally with the cooling and drinks of choice (APPLE TEA!). This is an experience not to be missed, if you can afford (pricing is very reasonable). They take cash - US dollars, Euro, Liras. The host was also very helpful in giving us walking direction to rush to Tokapi. There was quite some tiredness from the Istanbul trip (36-hours short only) , but the Hamam revived me - nurture and renewal to both body and soul. Highly recommended.

This is a *traditional* Turkish bath. At times, I wanted to cry. I felt like I'd boxed 3 rounds with Mike Tyson at the end. They really mean it when they say it's traditional. This is a very unique experience that is done extremely well, with a beautiful hamam and great staff. In saying that, these type of baths are not refreshing in the slightest (45min in 45C heat with 100% humidity) and you spend every second waiting for the bather to douse you with cold water again. Do it! But I'd only ever do it once 🙂. Make sure you're very hydrated before entering.

Before I continue let me tell you… for us this was far from a relaxing experience BUT well worth it if nothing else for the stories you can tell. The building itself is lovely and luxurious. The staff friendly and professional. Upon entering you are taken to an elegant changing room where you and your partner will change into the hamam’s shirts and bikini. You are given wooden shoes which while fun could easily trip you as they have a funny shape. Once ready proceed to the toilet if you need because after that it’s going to be an odd 90 minutes. You are taken into a marble room. Temperature there is a very hot 40c with high humidity. Relax on the center marble piece. After a few minutes it might get too hot so use cold water from the taps to cool yourself down. After about 45 minutes you will be guided by the male staff to what I can only call a scrub room. You will have hot water poured over your head followed by cold water over and over again. He will scrub you down and slap you with a cloth. The same is repeated while you lie down on your stomach then on your back. First hot water then cold water. I didn’t enjoy it being poured over my head. Felt like water boarding to me so I told the guy to stop throwing on my head. Once you are done they show you to a cooling down room and wrap you up in white cotton towels. You get a drink…. That’s it. That’s your experience. There is no massage. There is nothing soft or romantic here. Forget anything even remotely sensual of course. But at the end of the day it’s a great experience and one I would recommend anyone to do at least once if nothing else for the smile of amusement it will put on your face.