This no-frills hamam is favoured by locals. The name means 'the big bathhouse' - indeed, this is Istanbul's largest. The huge hararet has 60 wash stations, compared to the...

More or less unchanged since it was built in 1741, Caĸaloĸlu - pronounced 'jaah-lo-loo' - is Istanbul's most famous hamam. It is often used as a backdrop for soap ads and pop...

Possibly the cleanest and most atmospheric hamam in town. Built in 1584 by Sinan, it was commissioned by Nurbanu, wife of Sultan Selim the Sot, as a charitable foundation for...

A makeover several years ago did little to improve the forbidding appearance of this hard-to-find hamam, hidden among the backstreet hardware stores. The staff are apathetic...

Built in 1481, for almost 500 years this hamam was for men only. A small women's section was finally added in 1963. Little else has been altered. The camekan is particularly...

One of Istanbul's oldest hamams, Gedikpaşa was built in 1457 by one of Mehmet the Conqueror's viziers, next door to the mosque that also bears his name. Although not in the...

A neighbourhood hamam across from the Azapkapı Mosque at the base of the Atatürk Bridge. As good an introduction to the bathing scene as you'll get anywhere, with the added...