‘My Constantinople, my Caraman, the earth of my Anatolia. My Badakhshan, my Baghdad and Khorasan.’
Verses of Suleiman the Magnificent for Hürrem Sultan
Istanbul is a city that can push you to your psychological limits due to its population, traffic and skyrocketing cost of living. The city has very few tranquil corners that can give you a peace of mind. On top of it, Istanbulites are quick tempered people, almost always in a rush while walking, eating and driving. If you feel overwhelmed by this city that demands all your attention, energy and financial resources, here is a heavenly refuge for you.
I would highly recommed you to visit the Hürrem Sultan Hammam built in 1556 by the woman who was married to the most powerful man in the Ottoman Empire. Hürrem was both the love and the official wife of Suleiman the Magnificient who ruled vasts expanses of land.
He was so madly in love with Hürrem that he wrote incredibly passionate love poems for her. ‘Throne of my lonely niche, my wealth, my love, my moonlight.’ he wrote . Calling her ‘My Constantinople, my Caraman, the earth of my Anatolia. My Badakhshan, my Baghdad and Khorasan.’ Suleiman the Magnificent granted her priviliges that few other royal women in the empire could. She was allowed to bring the harem within the walls of the Topkapı Palace, got the privilige of being the first Ottoman harem woman to be officially married to a Sultan and was able to construct in her name. Hürrem Sultan Hammam just across from Saint Sophia is one of her traces in the city that still stands the test of time after five centuries.
I love the building itself as well as its interior that has been beautifully renovated. The lightening is dim, the decoration is delicate, the service is supurb, the aura is magical!
Hürrem Sultan Hammam offers a wide range of hammam treatments along with massage options. If you ever get a chance to experience a hammam treatment in this magical atmosphere, you will feel like a baby that has regressed back to her mother’s arms, cleansed and purified both in the body and the soul.
So do yourself a favor and visit the Hürrem Sultan Hammam to get away from the chaos of contemporary İstanbul and to dive into the magical atmosphere of 16th century İstanbul with its architecture, rituals and gestures!
And one final note for book lovers. Make sure to get a copy of the book titled Hamam written by the prominent art historian Nurhan Atasoy who has dedicated seven years to writing this book on the Ottoman hamam culture and the Hürrem Sultan Hammam in particular. The book has been presented to the public in the Hürrem Sultan Hammam this february.
Seal of Hürrem Sultan
Visit the Hürrem Sultan Hammam at https://www.hurremsultanhamami.com/
