Lonely Planet İstanbul Guide

HAMAM CAĞALOĞLU HAMAMI ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; % 0212-522 2424; www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr; Prof Kazım İsmail Gürkan Caddesi 24; bath, scrub & massage packages €40-120, self-service €30; h 8am-10pm; j Sultanahmet) Built in 1741 by order of Sultan Mahmut I, this gorgeous hamam offers separate baths for men and women and a range of bath services that are – alas – overpriced considering how quick and rudimentary the wash, scrub and massage treatments are. Consider signing up for the self-service treatment (€30) only. AMBASSADOR SPA ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; % 0212-512 0002; www.hotelambassador.com; Ticarethane Sokak 3; Turkish bath treatments €30, massage treatments €25-60; h 9am-10pm; j Sultanahmet) There’s no Ottoman ambience on offer at the spa centre of this bland hotel just off Divan Yolu, but all treatments are private, meaning that you get the small hamam all to yourself. The signature 60- or 75-minute ‘Oriental Massage’ package (€50 to €60) includes a facial massage, hamam treatment and expert 30-minute oil massage. The spa’s massage therapist Zeki Ulusoy is trained in sports, remedial and aromatherapy massage and he really knows his stuff – you’ll float out of here at the end of a session. The 50-minute ‘Ottoman’ package (€40) comprises a 20-minute body scrub and a 30-minute foam massage. HAMAM ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; % 0212-513 3601; www.tkhv.org; Soğukkuyu Çıkmazı 5, off Caferiye Sokak; private 1hr classes ₺ 100; j Sultanahmet) This 16th-century medrese (seminary) houses a a cultural organisation that teaches and promotes traditional Turkish handicrafts. Classes are available in calligraphy, marbling, glass painting, porcelain decoration and more. English is spoken.