Çemberlitaş Hamamı

My wife and two friends went here to experience a traditional Turkish bath. It’s one of the most historical bathhouses in the Old Town and the cheapest historic one we found in this part of town. You pay your fee and they give you a changing room to keep your stuff. You put on your small towel and head on into the actual bathhouse. My buddy and I went in and were told to bath first. Then a very aggressive and large Turkish man grabbed me and gave me a Turkish bath which involved a massage, tons of suds that engulfed my entire body at one point, and even a back crack. After that experience, you can lay in the center of the heated room and enjoy the steam. After you’re sufficiently tired, you rinse off, tip your bather, and go back to your changing room to nap (There are beds in the small rooms). If you have time to kill, grab a freshly squeezed juice in the lobby.

Lugar de tradición en Estambul, el famoso baño turco construido por el mismo arquitecto que construyó la mesquita azul entre otros edificios más en la ciudad. Es toda una experiencia ir ahí y que te den el baño. Te truenan todos los huesos y te dan un buen baño. Todo al vapor. Algo único en la vida.

My first hamam experience was interesting to say the least. It wasn’t shocking since I’d been to Korean spas stateside before where certain aspects are similar (gender-​specific communal pool/​bath areas where your fellow naked patrons roam around and some get body scrubs). I was originally planning on going to the big one right by the ayasofya but missed my morning appointment and they were too busy to take me in later on; and a local friend recommended this place so I gave it a try.
It was completely no frills. You enter the bath area and are immediately given orders throughout the whole thing («go over there, lie down, lift your arms, turn around, etc»). The ladies were very terse and I almost felt like being in a factory where mechanic parts were made and we were just part of the manufacturing turnover process. There were points where I just lay there waiting while the lady who gave me the bath went around taking care of her other business. You share a marble slab with about a dozen other women receiving the same service, and getting water or even bubbles spilt on you is not uncommon. As part of the service I also got my hair washed, meaning she poured a small bucket of water over my head while I was sitting up a few times. Maybe I’m just a hopeless wimp but I felt like drowning at least once when the water came pouring down my head unannounced.
I also got the oil massage (the combo was about $ 60). At the end of my bath service I could’ve sworn the lady gave me another order («go lie down there») so I went back to the marble slab and lay there, thinking she’d come back get me for my massage. But after at least half an hour’s wait it just seemed too bizarre so I got up and went outside and asked someone if I could get my massage. Turned out that I was supposed to just ask for it whenever I was ready, not waiting endlessly in the bath area for someone to come. So time was wasted. Fortunately they had immediate availability for in the massage room and I was greeted by another lady who performed my massage. It was okay, but I was in the same room as a couple of other women and the masseuses chatted while they did our massages, which was not relaxing at all. After being shouted orders at during the bath, being pretty confused while waiting forever topless in public, and having hands that were all shriveled up because I’d stayed in the bath area for so long, it was a shame I couldn’t relax during the massage. But the lady was nice and the massage itself wasn’t bad, just the setup. I just really can’t do massages if the room isn’t private and quiet.
All in all, worth a try while in Istanbul if you’ve never done something similar before. And it’s cheaper than the ayasofya hamam would’ve cost. You get the barebones version of the Turkish bath, I guess. Not a place to indulge and truly pamper yourself, but okay just for the experience.

Outstanding service. Amazing experience. Going back next time I’m in Istanbul.

This was exactly what I expected. We went late at night so it was very mellow and quiet. In the women’s section there were only about 5 women in the actual hammam.
The traditional soap/​scrub/​hair wash costs 95 TL and it includes your own kese (scrub cloth) and women get a pair of black panties to wear. Men just wrap the plaid linen around them. You can also get a trains traditional scrub plus a 30 min oil massage for a total of 160 TL. There are other extras you can add on such as reflexology, thai massage, shiatsu massage, pedicure, etc.
The process is that you pay first at the reception and they give you a token for the different kind of service you’ve oredered. You then go to your male/​female section where they direct you to the changing area. After you have put on the panties/​wrap, you go into the domed hammam/​bath room and lie down on the marble platform. (Most women just spread the wrap on the platform and lie down on top of it, just wearing the panties. Then one of the attendants will come over to you and start the washing process. It starts with pouring water on you and using the kese to exfoliate your skin all over. Then she will empty 2 bags of soap bubbles on you and give you a soapy massage. (I found it to be very light and relaxing, unlike the travel guides’ description.) Then she rinses you and has you go to one of the marble vessels with running water to wash your hair. Then you can lie down on the marble platform again to relax or just go back to the changing room.
At this place, they may offer you tea or juice but it’s not complimentary, so be prepared to pay. There’s a tip box near the exit and it’s customary to give 20 – 25 tl as a tip.
It was a great experience. I think I will go back before my trip is over and do the self wash option (20 tl) and get a thai massage!

Visited this Hamam this morning. Hey don’t judge, I’m on vacation!
This experience was much more pleasurable for me and much more aligned with what I was expecting in the Hamam experience.
Booked reflexology session that I used yesterday with a Hamam and massage experience that I used today. The soap they use is really bubbly and lightly fragrant and I really liked it. You can purchase the mits and soap in the gift shop and they make really nice souvenirs.
Bit of a lag until I got the massage but otherwise it was good. Really enjoyed this place and might return for one last Turkish Hamam.

no no nooooo
so crowded, almost no one spoke english, it was utterly confusing — it’s hard to describe how awful this experience was. i felt like an abused animal. i actually cried at one point, i was so overwhelmed. the scrub itself lasted about five minutes.
would never, ever go back.

Can’t express enough my disappointment at this place. Check in and reception was pretty fast and efficient but as you step through the doors that’s a completely different treatment.
As it was explained to me by locals the secret of a good bath is to let your skin to warm up then proceed to scrubbing. As I laid down on the heated marble platform Hamam lady came up immediately and started scrubbing. 2 minutes on one side and 2 min on another side. She squeezed two bags of bubbles and tapped me to move to hair washing station. The price list of services promised 15 min of bubble bath only.
Then massage — technically you need to give the token to the attending masseuse after you come out from the heated sauna. There is no one to take the token but 10 confused women who have been waiting for more than 2 hours already. (IMHO if you are busy alert the client and don’t sell the service!) After my quick math of 30 min per person, I decided not to wait 3 more hours to get a massage and skipped straight to the pedicure. After my numerous inquiries about who does it and where I was sent to the 3^rd floor. All this time all employees were calling the pedicure girl to come down and greet me. Finally, after opening bunch of doors on the 3^rd floor she comes out and by that time imagine my spirit? I was upset and pretty much wanted nothing but to get out and call my credit card to cancel entire charge — 199 TL.
The receptionist handled the situation and gave me cash back for the pedicure and the massage only. I am not happy with the entire experience…
I have been at the Kilic Ali Pasa Hamam in Galata by the bridge, and it was a bit more expensive but the service and experience was smooth and delightful.

We had a wonderful stay! Okay, so the treatment didn’t take the whole 15 Minutes, but I think they already peeled a layer of skin of me, so that’s okay. And we got to stay as long as we wanted which was quite relaxing after the busy streets of Istanbul. You get everything you need (bikini bottom, towels, slippers…) upon entry. Women and mens areas are separated. It was clean and well cared for. I totally recommend it.

Yes, it’s an awesome historic building that’s very cool to experience. That being said, it’s pricey, a little run down, and not exactly the authentic hamam experience. This place is used to getting tourists — I didn’t see any Turks partaking in the baths here. They quickly go through the motions of scrubbing you down (it’s like a car wash with all those suds floating around you!) and getting on to the next customer.
Tip: Although the hours technically go to midnight, do NOT get here after 10pm. We arrived at 10 and by 10:45 the staff had cleaned up and were waiting for their tip from us so they could get out. I don’t blame them for wanting to go home, but the lady at the front desk did not convey that time frame.

Maybe a little touristy (hey it’s in the touristy area!), but I very much enjoyed my time at this hamam. If I lived in Istanbul I think I’d go to a turkish bath once a month! I think the disappointment stems from people not knowing to expect from the experience. It’s not a «spa» so the expectations need to be adjusted. I found it helpful to google & read about the process. As far as pricing, it was 90 TL for the turkish bath with a scrub by the attendant which I thought was more than fair. My attendant spoke little English, but it was fine as gesturing is often enough.
TIPS:
The hamam has signs posted saying that their busiest hours are between 4 – 6 pm; There was quite a line at this time when I went by so I returned at about 6:30pm and had no issues. The recommendation was to go either earlier in the day (they open at 6am for men, 7:30am for women) or after 8 pm if you want it to be less crowded.
Come prepared with whatever items you would want to fix yourself up post-​scrub. They had blow dryers and some hair implements available, but I brought my own comb and make-​up for after.
For the ladies (not entirely sure on the male side): they provide basic black bottoms for you to wear– most people opted to go sans top, but if you’re feeling modest bring a bikini top– though I can assure you you’d be in the minority there.

Basically:
–nice concept, very squishy
–no step by step direction on what to do
–scrub wasn’t even a good scrub
–very loud
–scrub was 5 min long when it was supposed to be 15 min long
–go somewhere else
So… My sister and I decided to get a Turkish bath because we figured it’d be a great cultural experience. We had limited time here so we went to this one because it didn’t require appointments. When we went inside, there were about 20 people squished on a middle stone waiting to get scrubbed. It was so crammed! There was also no direction at all on what we were supposed to do when we were inside… Where to go, where to sit, if there’s a line, etc. We sat in the middle with everyone, watching people get scrubbed. We got the traditional bath where you get a 15 minute scrub. Mine was probably not even 5 minutes… Soap got in my eyes and I wasn’t even able to get it out because I was covered in soap. My body wasn’t scrubbed that much either. I’ve been to a Korean bath where they scrub you, and that scrub was amazing– so much dead skin off! I barely got a scrub at this one. After they scrub/​bathe you, they wash your hair. And then… No direction at all. Do I hang and relax? Do I leave? Do I wash myself more? Do I shower outside? We decided to shower because it was so packed in there… The showers were so gross that we didn’t even shower. There was no drainage so you basically had to stand in the entire bottom of the shower of someone else’s dirty shower water.
I enjoyed the concept of the scrub, but I wish it was quiet. It wasn’t even the customers that were loud. It was a combination of workers & customers. I’m pretty sure the workers even got in a fight and were yelling at each other. I think the experience would have been a lot more peaceful and pleasant if we were sitting in quietness, relaxing in the sauna, and not squished together. I also think it’s a little confusing that there’s no direction on what to do. I recommend paying a little more and going to a local one and not such a touristy one… But if you’re looking for a BASIC experience, go here. It’s an interesting experience. But it felt so touristy and unprofessional.

Magical! Sauna and sloughing under a 500 year old dome, surrounded by marble while the perforated dome lets in sunbeams that light up on the steam from the hamam. Really breathtakingly beautiful, and very clean. I avoided the services based on the hit or miss reviews (there are plenty of places for these in Istanbul) and came in when the women’s side opened, at 7:30am. (thanks jet lag!) The staff were kind and patient guiding me with their few words of English. Only bummer was that the tea and café service didn’t start ’til noon. It’s also pricy for a hamam but not when compared to any sort of Western spa. When I left at 10am the mood of the lobby was very different as it filled with jostling tourists. Come early, and don’t miss it especially if you are any kind of traditional bathhouse or architecture fan.

VERY dingy and raw — If you are a tourist looking for a nice experience this IS NOT your place. I would NEVER go back

Don’t waste your money here !
Place is a little run down but this is not what bothered me. My scrub was literally 3 minutes long while others around me were receiving a proper scrub. Man assigned to me was lazy and only concerned about telling me to tip him later. It felt like I was being rushed to get me out ASAP. Perhaps a better body scrubber would have altered my experience slightly but regardless I say to all look elsewhere for hammam whilst in Istanbul !

Though the facility doesn’t look like it on the outside, the inside is BEAUTIFUL and clean. The outside though is pretty nondescript – we almost missed it!
You get inside and when you pay, they’ll hand you a pair of underwear to wear. You go inside the changing room where there are lockers for your clothes. You take a towel and go inside the sauna room.
Inside the sauna, there’s a large round stone stable in the middle of the room on which you will lie as the attendant scrubs you to gently exfoliate you. While you wait for the attendants to call you over, you sit in one of the smaller enclosed spaces along the wall to open all your pores. After they scrub you – pretty lightly compared to an Asian sauna exfoliation session but gets the job done nonetheless – you go into the outside shower room to rinse off and your session ends.
They do have other packages that include massages other treatments but we chose to go with a cheaper one as we are university students. It was a wonderful experience though and if I had the money, I would have gone more frequently as it was such an enjoyable and relaxing time after long days of walking around Istanbul.

A beautiful facility, but alas a crowded, impersonal scene — really a production line. Disappointed that scrub was superficial, only fronts & backs of limbs & torso, not sides! No exfoliation of hands, feet, heels, fingers, toes. Afterward, the wait time for a massage was entirely unacceptable, and the massage was unimpressive. Also, the bathrooms were out of toilet paper and hand towels.

Wanted to try a turkish bath so this was the first thing we did when we landed in Istanbul. It’s located right outside of the tram stop. Went inside and they got right down to business. Gave us a robe thing to wear and went off the hot room where i laid on this warm rock to sweat. This older gentleman came and scrubbed my body and gave a massage and then it was off to get rinsed down. The building was really cool and the service was first class. Would absolutely recommend to anybody for the experience.

I have been once in Istabul and missed Turkish bath.
This time I had not to miss it. so here i am in Istanbul checking in @ Cemberlitas Hamami.
Few stops after Emi nonu I get out of the tram, turn around and find the entrance of the Hamami.
A bit scared by these big turkish guy and what the hell are they going to do to me there? (i was remembering some frencg spy comedy movie where the hero is getting massaged in a hamam ;)
But first I point out the list of prices on the left of the entrance. Even before entering you know the price and the services provided. The 1^st good point
3 prices: the self made washing for 17 euros, the turkish soap and bubbles massage scratching one for 30 euros and the full luxury combo oil massage after soapy shit for 51 euros.
I chose the 51 euros one for a good review of the services.
1^st you have two tokens given to you: one for the scrub, one for the oil massage.
2^nd you are oriented to a cabin to change yourself (get naked) and roll a towel around your hips.
3^rd: get down to the «hoven»
4^th: lie down, beath, get wet, get hot, breath, wait wait wait wait … until a big guy arrives and takes care of you;
5^th: big guy talks to you, explains everything with basic english start the soapy scrubing, washing part.
this is awesome, your dead skin just got away, you feel reborn, you enjoy the warm water on your body, you forget all your problems and enjoy the big guy hands on your body massaging you.
6^th: the wash up of all the soap with warm/​cold water.
7^th: the oil massage: not the most enjoyable for me, but it was nice. the massage is strong, if you are stress it may be a bit painful.
8^th: washing machine, let’s go take a shower and back to the «hoven»
9^th: back to the marble table for getting wet hot while breathing and pouring cold water on me.
10^th: you can get back for a short massage scrubing washing by a turkish giant (he will beg for tips cause he s doing extra jobs (nothing dirty do not worry))
11^th: time to leave (already 2 hours have passed)
Guys go there it kicks ass.
BUT be aware it ‘s a tourist place, I think it’s good to do once there, afterward if you enjoy it the best would be to find a local place where you get the scrub for cheaper or even go with someone else and scrub each other. (too bad there are not as many mixed turksih bath ;o))))

After constantly being on the go and walking for about 12 hours a day, a trip to the hamam was eventually in order! We picked this particular hamam because it had great reviews on Trip Adviser and their prices were extremely reasonable: for 117TL, you get a scrub + wash + shampoo and a 30-​minute massage. On the day that we went, it was pretty busy, but we didn’t have to wait very long to get lockers and towels. After stripping and donning our towels, we were sent into the main bath area; it was quite nice! The room was dome-​shaped and pretty much everything was made of marble. The ceiling had small holes scattered throughout, allowing the light to cascade into the room. Amazing! I waited about 10 minutes before it was my turn for a scrub and wash. When my attendant was done with me, I felt squeaky clean! I then headed over to a heated pool to rinse off and relax, and then went up for my massage. My Turkish masseuse was absolutely awesome. She instinctively seemed to know what areas needed the most attention, and the massage was great. I think that my attempts to speak in Turkish went a long way with this lovely lady because I’m pretty sure my massage was longer than 30 minutes. She was so happy to see that I genuinely wanted to communicate with her in Turkish that she kept squeezing my cheeks and kissing me, ha! I also got some Turkish lessons, which was a great bonus! When the massage was over, I felt like a stick of butter — soft and melty =-D The tip is included in the price, but I left my masseuse 5TL anyway. She was just too sweet.
I had a great experience but would make a few recommendations, if asked. First, I would personally prefer to be given disposable flip flops rather than use the plastic ones that they provide. I’m not crazy about sharing sandals with strangers but that’s me. When we went, we were 6 girls and the woman who took us to the locker area was trying to force us to use one locker. First of all, the lockers are small. Secondly, I’m paying 117T — I should at least be allowed to have my own locker if I want one. Those are my only complaints — the experience was well worth these small inconveniences.
Some of my friends went to the top rated hamam (apparently the oldest in Istanbul or something), which was more expensive. They mentioned that they preferred
Çemberlitaş for the overall experience. Their biggest beef with the other place was that you are massaged on marble so that can be a little painful and uncomfortable.

I’ve been here four times in the last two years, twice on both trips I’ve taken to Istanbul and I always walk out feeling pretty happy. The hamam was evidently built in 1584 by Mimar Sinan, the famous Ottoman architect to several sultans, including Suleiman the Magnificent. When you first walk into the sauna, you instantly are transformed into a distant past, with water trickling in the fountains, foreign tongues echoing off the walls, and sound of the entry door being open and closed. The sauna room is kept clean and the there are side rooms to hang out in, if you want to get away from the center area.
This time it felt more touristy, but the attendants remain professional (though my attendant made sure to let me know he was to be tipped, easy Hakim I know the drill) and thorough. The attendants introduce themselves to you and after your language has been identified instruct to move accordingly, «SEEEEET!» was used to get my soap bubble covered body, after a thorough scrub to rise back up. I heard another attendant state authoritatively in Greek «YEERNA», translated to «turn over». The attendant rinsed me off and then took me to the massage room (as I ordered the deluxe package including both the scrub/​wash and a thirty minute oil massage, 117TL, but if you are Greek, or speak enough, they will issue you a 10TL discount).
At the end of the massage, which was solid, I washed off in the shower room, but then the attendant called me over for a final wash and I returned to the sauna (they kind of expected me to leave) after that but I wanted one more burst of heat before exiting.
I then went and got a straight razor shave at the small barber shop, connected to the changing floor of the hamam and got talked into a haircut, which I needed. Feeling clean, relaxed and shorn I was ready for my return to Taksim.
The final time I went I discovered the rooftop café, where you can enjoy a beverage, pomegranate juice in my case. The sun was shining and I was able to just chill out soaking up some rays while remaining in a relaxed state.
I heard there are better hamams in Istanbul and will definitely check another out on my next trip here but I remain a fan of Çemberlitas.

Großer Mythos, aber vor Ort eher mäßig. Einseifen und Massage recht gut, aber man darf sonst nicht zu viel erwarten. Viele Touris. Relativ teuer.

Dieses Hamam wird Touristen von Reiseführern aus drei Gründen ans Herz gelegt: Es ist in einem schönen, historischen Gebäude mit prächtigen Kuppeln, es ist auf Touristen eingestellt, was denen ganz angenehm sein kann, wenn sie nicht genau wissen, was als nächstes passiert und schüchtern und zaghaft irgendwo herum stehen und es ist sauber und schön — was angeblich nicht für alle Hamams in Istanbul zutreffen soll.
Für 55 TL bekommt man eine Seifenschaummassage, einfach waschen und in der dunstigen Wärme auf dem Stein herumliegen kostet ~30 TL. Männer und Frauen werden ab dem Eintritt getrennt. Frauen bekommen ein Bikinihöschen kostenlos dazu, außerdem gibt es für alle ein großes Badetuch.
Wir haben uns ein bisschen durchdringen müssen, bis wir uns hingetraut haben, dann war es aber eine interessante und angenehme Erfahrung.
Wir haben eine Massage genommen, es gab ein Jakuzzi, also ein heißes Bad, einen großen warmen runden Marmorblock auf dem massiert und entspannt herumgelegen wurde und viele Waschbecken mit warmen und kaltem Wasser, an denen man sich waschen konnte.
Abgesehen von dem Bikinihöschen und dem Badetuch ist man i.d.R. nackt im Hamam, darf wohl aber Badekleidung tragen, wenn man möchte.
In anderen Rezensionen habe ich gelesen, das Cemberlitas soll dreckig und die Angestellten unfreundlich geweusen sein — beides kann ich nicht bestätigen.

LE bain turc par excellence.
C’est que ce hamman idéal, au pied de la colonne Constantin et de l’arrêt de tramway, est installé ici depuis… 1584 déjà !
De l’extérieur, les deux dômes bien visibles sont une invite sensuelle à descendre les marches qui mènent à la salle d’accueil.
A la caisse, sur la gauche, on choisit sa formule, de 15.-EUR pour le hamman seul à 45.-EUR pour la formule complète (bains, massages mousses, massages huile) je l’avoue ma préférée.
A partir de là, garçons et filles se séparent, et les photos sont interdites. Non pas qu’il se passé ici des choses que la morale réprouve, mais après tout, on est dans un bain turc, et la tenue correcte exigée est ici seulement le pagne fourni pour l’occasion (bleu pour les filles, rouges pour les garçons).
Côté garçon, cela commence au premier ou au deuxième étage, par une chambre mise à disposition pour se changer avant les bains, et se relaxer après. Une fois en pagne, on redescend pour gagner les bains. Dès l’entrée, on est dans l’ambiance. Sur la belle pièce de marbre, on se fait sa place sous le dôme lumineux et la chaleur commence à faire son effet. Après avoir sué ce qu’il faut, le massage mousse peut commencer. Viril mais sans excès, il fait un bien fou et permet de vivre une expérience de qualité, avec cette étrange impression de vivre ici ce que des centaines de générations de voyageurs ont vécu avant nous. A l’aide de l’écuelle, le masseur termine son ouvrage par l’aspersion d’eau chaude, un délice.
Commence alors pour ceux qui l’on choisi le massage à l’huile, dans une pièce annexe, à la température plus clémente. Quatre lits de massage sont disponible, ici, le repos est le mot d’ordre. Une demi-​heure de sérénité nous attend avant de prendre une dernière douche, recevoir les serviettes tièdes qui nous attendent à la sortie, et regagner sa chambre de repos à l’étage.
Plus besoin de regarder sa montre, il suffit alors de se laisser aller après avoir fermé le loquet, pour laisser son esprit reprendre petit à petit le contrôle.
Un pourboire (une à deux lire) et quelques minutes plus tard, on peut profiter de l’atrium pour attendre sa moitié ou les filles de son groupe en dégustant un thé ou un jus d’orange mélangé à de la grenade, une spécialité d’Istanbul.
Le cadre est parfait, le voyage dans le temps et les sensations inoubliables, c’est l’un de mes coups de cœur de qyper sans aucun doute !