Hürrem Sultan Hamamı

Hurrem Sultan Hammam that preserved its unique structure for 450 years opened a new era in Turkish Bath architecture and has the title of being the first structure where women and men sections are on the same axis. Hammam is showing differences from classical period Ottoman bath architecture with its double bath shape and 75m. In Turkish Hammam where men coldness, warmness, hotness sections and women hotness, warmness and coldness sections follow each other; all domes are covered with lead. Restoration project of Hurrem Sultan Hammam carried out by Kocaeli University Faculty of Architecture, which is expert in historical building restoration. No element of original bath architecture was sacrificed during the restoration

process carried otu with efforts of interdisciplinary teams consisting ofacademicians and professionals of their own field, that lasted for months. Materials and technological systems that were used for the first time in Turkey were utilized for the works. Hammam was built in 1556 year by Mimar Sinan. Restoration began in 2008 year. 1300 sqm. of Marmara Marble was used for restoration. Only the bath with 2 domes on the same line. Coldness section dome height is 24 meters. Navel stone temperature 42 degrees, private room temperature 48 degrees. The Hurrem Sultan Hammam was designed and built by Mimar Sinan, the chef Ottoman architect. It was built at the request of Hurrem Sultan (Roxelana), the wife of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century (1556-1557 AD), where the ancient public baths of Zeuxippus (100-200 AD) used to stand, between the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. The area is also particularly significant as the site where the Temple of Zeus once stood. The hammam was operational until 1910 when it closed for many years. It was later used to house the convicts during times when the nearby
Sultanahmet Prison was full. The Hurrem Sultan Hammam, was restored for the first time between the years 1957-1958 and was a carpet exhibition hall until 2007. Although the hammam was built in the classical period Ottoman bath style, it was an innovation in Turkish bath architecture to have the sections for men and women constructed on the same axis as mirror images of each other.