The Hamam Across Centuries

Between 1530 and 1540, Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha, Grand Admiral of the Ottoman Navy, commissioned a double hammam in Zeyrek during the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. Built to support his charitable foundation, the project was entrusted to Mimar Sinan, chief imperial architect of the Ottoman Empire. The building followed a clear spatial order designed around the bathing experience. Much of the interior was lined with blue and white İznik tiles produced specifically for the structure, forming one of the most extensive decorative programs in an Ottoman hammam

By the 1600s, Zeyrek had become a predominantly Muslim residential district and an area with several hammams. This period marked the height of public bath culture in the city. Zeyrek Çinili Hamam functioned as a double hammam serving the surrounding neighborhood. It was also known as the Nakkaşlar Hammam, a name likely referring to the nakkaşlar –decorators and artisans– who frequented the hammam.

From the 1700s onward, fires and earthquakes reshaped many parts of Istanbul. During this period, Zeyrek Çinili Hamam was repurposed for a short time, to be used as military stables.

In the 1800s, the hammam passed from foundation ownership into private hands for the first time. Ali Bey, its first private owner, carried out restoration works between 1833 and 1850. Later owners continued to modify the building to meet changing needs. These interventions preserved the structure while altering its interior character.

In the 19th century, many of the tiles were removed from the hammam and sold through the European antique market. As a result, the interior’s decorative scheme was gradually dismantled. Today, many of these tiles are held in major museum collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Louvre Museum, and the Ashmolean Museum.

In 1985, the Zeyrek district was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Historic Areas of Istanbul. The listing acknowledged the importance of the neighborhood and placed the building within a protected area.

Following its acquisition by The Marmara Group, a thirteen-year preservation and restoration project began in 2010. Architectural restoration was carried out alongside archaeological research. Excavations revealed the Byzantine cistern, tile fragments, and traces of earlier construction phases. Restoration focused on exposing the building’s layered history while also introducing seismic strengthening to secure the structure for the future.

Zeyrek Çinili Hamam reopened in 2023 following an extensive restoration. Today, the historic bath continues to operate as a working hammam, while a museum created after the unexpected discovery of nearly 3,000 tile fragments presents the building’s archaeological finds and donated objects related to bathing culture. The Byzantine cistern now hosts an ongoing program of site-specific contemporary art exhibitions, inviting artists to spend time in Istanbul and create works in dialogue with the history and architecture of the space.