Constructed by order of the mother of Selim I and one of the wives of Beyazıt II, this now-decommissioned early-16th-century hamam is one of the largest in the city. Also known as the Hamam-ı Kebır (Old Bathhouse), the square-planned building with its original male and female domed sections now functions as a museum of the hamam, with displays explaining the rituals and practicalities associated with this much-loved Turkish tradition.
Look for the pumice stones carved into animal shapes, the collection of the metal hamam bowls known as ³Ù²¹²õı, the carved °ìı±ô»å²¹²Ô±ôı°ì (holders for the clay that was once used as an alternative to soap) and the wooden ²Ô²¹±ôı²Ô (platform bath clogs) inlaid with mother-of-pearl that wealthy women used to navigate a hamam’s slippery marble floors.
