Lonely Planet İstanbul Guide

HAMAM The international tour company Intrepid offers a program of city tours including a popular four-hour guided walk around Sultanahmet and the Bazaar District. Also on offer are the ‘Picnic on Two Continents’ and the ‘Home Cooked İstanbul’ tours, the latter including a no-frills dinner with a local family in their home and a visit to a neighbourhood teahouse. AYASOFYA HÜRREM SULTAN HAMAMI ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; % 0212-517 3535; www.ayasofyahamami.com; Aya Sofya Meydanı 2; bath treatments €85-170, massages €40-75; h 8am-10pm; j Sultanahmet) This meticulously restored twin hamam dating to 1556 offers the most luxurious traditional bath experience in the Old City. Designed by Mimar Sinan, it was built just across the road from Aya Sofya by order of Süleyman the Magnificent and named in honour of his wife Hürrem Sultan, commonly known as Roxelana. The building’s three-year, US$13 million restoration, completed in 2011, was closely monitored by heritage authorities and the end result is wonderful: it retains Sinan’s austere design but endows it with an understated modern luxury. There are separate baths for males and females, both with a handsome soğukluk (entrance vestibule) surrounded by wooden change cubicles. Treatments are expert and the surrounds are exceptionally clean. The basic 35minute bath treatment costs €85 and includes a scrub and soap massage, olive-oil soap and a personal kese (coarse cloth mitten used for exfoliation). Book ahead in high season. In warm weather, a cafe and restaurant operate on the outdoor terrace.

CRATUS TOUR ( % 0212-235 1810; www.cratustour.com; up to 5 adults €180)

TOUR

Tayfun and team offer cultural tours focusing on topics such as İstanbul’s Jewish heritage. The Istanbul Classics tour is their best, covering Sultanahmet’s highlights and the Grand Bazaar, where Tayfun’s father worked. The City Walls and Golden Horn tour covers the Western Districts including the Kariye Museum (Chora Church) and Eyüp.

CAFERAĞA MEDRESESI

COURSE