Zeyrek Çinili Hamam

Zeyrek Çinili Hamam is a hamam-museum complex located in Istanbul's historic Zeyrek district.

Zeyrek Çinili Hamam
General information
Type	Hamam
Location	Zeyrek Istanbul, Turkey
Completed	16th century
Renovated	2010-2023
Owner	The Marmara Collection
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Mimar Sinan

The 16th century hamam was commissioned between 1540 and 1546 by Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha, the grand admiral of the Ottoman navy, designed by chief Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan and built atop a Byzantine-era cistern.^[1][2] "Çinili" means "tiled" in Turkish and the name comes from distinctive blue-and-white İznik tiles that once adorned the bath's interior. The tiles of Zeyrek Çinili Hamam, damaged by the earthquakes and fires during the eighteenth century, were sold off by a Parisian antique dealer and ended up in the collections of Europe's most distinguished museums including in the collection of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.^[1][3]

After laying derelict for decades, the hamam reopened in September after 13-year-long restoration.^[4][5] Some fragments of tiles were uncovered in excavations carried out during the restoration and currently they are displayed in a new museum adjacent the Turkish bath.^[3]

The museum displays archaeological finds and tile fragments uncovered in excavations, insights into the hammam's ingenious heating system and water journey and Ottoman bath culture objects.

In 2024, Zeyrek Çinili Hamam recognized by TIME magazine as one of the World's Greatest Places.^[3]

Gallery

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  Interior
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  Fragements of tiles
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  Museum displays
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