I didn't have a Hammam scheduled but it was available and really close to the hotel, it's cultural,…read moreit was a long day of...you know what? I don't need an excuse to have a spa day on a nice vacation. It wasn't on my 'to-do' list so I didn't do a lot of research. I was expecting a more communal style affair-my only point of reference was a Korean style sauna since I got walked into a communal area where people were just chilling out. After being walked upstairs and into a changing room. The next room was a large steam room, but not oppressively humid, probably because it was surprisingly high ceilinged and laid down on a marble bench, another surprise, it was way more comfortable than it sounds. I lost all sense of time. The hammam was like a cross between a scrub, a wash and a massage. I never saw why Turkish towels were 'a thing,' but after this I was surprised at how absorbent and supple it was. After getting all the travel stress out of my system THAT was when I was given a robe and then taken up front to that cavernous common area with a nice cup of hibiscus tea.

I highly recommend this hamam. I was able to book a reservation using WhatsApp while in Istanbul…read moreand communicating directly with the hamam. This is a nice touch since I'm using my US cell phone. The hamam itself is immaculate. I booked a session for me and my 2 daughters. We were given 2 changing rooms. Each room has a dyson hair dryer and q-tips etc. to use after your Turkish bath. Each room locks automatically and you are given a bracelet which unlocks the door. Very convenient and secure. The hamam experience is comparable to other experiences I've had - very good! I do like that for the bubble/massage portion, you are laying down on the marble. I've been to another hamam where they do this part while you're sitting. Here, my girl did a great job to get the knots out of my back. The experience is so relaxing and calming. You can take your time and chill in the relaxation room after your Turkish bath. With this hamam being co-ed/couples, you can bring your own 2 piece bikini which is convenient and comfortable. I've been to non-coed hamams where you eventually end up taking your bikini top off, but not here. It's really no biggie but just wanted to mention the differences. This is a great hamam for first timers or seasoned hamam goers. This is a great part of the Ottoman/Turkish culture to experience.

It was just terrific. They explained everything. You have to be comfortable with nudity, your own,…read moreand the scantily dressed woman who is scrubbing and helping you (if you are a woman). But I would do it again in a heartbeat, so relaxing.

The Suleymaniye Hamam was a cultural experience, that's for sure…read more I wanted to try a genuine Turkish bath, and the Sulimaniye Hamam is not only one of the oldest ones in Istanbul, it's also one of the few that allows co-ed bathing. In fact, it requires you come with a partner to partake. So I coerced my husband into coming along and made reservations for a Turkish bath. We arrived early but they took us right away. You are given a changing room (shared with your partner) and asked to dress in a bikini for women (they give you shorts and a top if you don't bring your own) and a towel for men. You're also given some very uncomfortable wooden sandals. A side note here: They made my husband leave his glasses in the changing room, which left him functionally blind. The glasses WOULD have steamed up in the bathing room, but I think that would have been preferable to him not being able to see at all, AND we saw another person wearing glasses in there. (OK, I saw another person wearing glasses in there--husband saw nothing.) So if you wear glasses and want them on your face for the bath, do it. After changing, you're brought into a large steam room for about 30 minutes to wait for your bath. There's a large heated marble square in the center of the room to sit on, and sinks around the perimeter of the room for you to fill bowls with water to splash yourself. Each of the four corners of the room is a treatment area, with two benches and two sinks. When it's your turn, the bathers will call you in to a corner and begin the treatment. The treatment consists of exfoliation with a loofah, followed by laying down on the table to be scrubbed all over with bubbles. They work on your back first, then your front. The scrubbing includes a little bit of massage, which was nice. Then, you are splashed with clean water to rinse the soap, and moved back to the area next to the sink where they shampoo your hair. Finally, you are splashed with progressively colder water until you're completely rinsed and soap-free. The last part of the experience is getting dry. The bathers bring you into a side room and wrap you in Turkish bath towels. They do not like it if you try to wrap yourself, I learned. Finally, you're brought into a room with benches and tables where you can order coffee, tea, water, or other refreshments. After our sweaty bath experience, all we wanted was water and more water. When you're done, you go back to your changing room, get back into your clothes, and that's it. You can pay for your refreshments on the way out (you pre-paid for the treatment) as well as leave any tips in a designated box. Pro tips: Bring something to hold back your hair if it's long. Bring makeup wipes since any makeup you're wearing will smear. Bring deodorant to reapply, as well as any hair products or makeup you might need, unless you plan on going straight back to your hotel. They do have blow dryers available for use at the hamam. As I said at the beginning, this was a cultural experience. I didn't find it relaxing exactly, especially since I wasn't sure what was going to happen at any given time. I'm glad I went, but I probably won't seek out a Turkish bath experience here at home.

While in Istanbul all I heard about is Turkish baths. So of course,we had to try it…read more This place has been here since 1481 so it's basically a piece of history now. Don't imagine how many naked men have been cleaned here. But they know what they are doing. First you're sent off to a private room to change and put on a thin towel. You are then walked to a huge marble domed room that's at least 105 degrees and extremely humid. Sit on a huge marble platform for 20 minutes to sweat and prepare your body to be scrubbed. Get a quick massage from a burly Turkish man. Then he soaps you up. Walked to a marble basin under a water tapped and rinsed off. Then the scrubbing begins. Dead skin is scrubbed off with a bath glove. Finally you take a cold shower. It sounds weird and not for the shy but you leave feeling amazing and my skin has not felt this smooth since I was a baby. Totally recommend this place if you visit Istanbul.

I had a wonderful time here. The Hamam looked very clean and a very relaxing experience. You run…read moreinto these tours in istanbul that charge you almost an arm and a leg to take you to the Hamam and then you gotta pay extra for other service while you can just walk in here and have the Hamam experience of your lifetime!

A historic (from the 1500s) Turkish bathhouse is beautiful which was clearly aimed for tourists and…read morea bit pricier than a traditional spot. But it was nice. I felt calm and relaxed after, and I got exactly what I paid for (though I paid a lot). Service is good, but they should clarify what is extra cost and what's included.

This historic Turkish Bathhouse is named after an admiral, the building itself is venerable and…read moremajestic. Kılıç Ali Pasha was one of the greatest admirals in Ottoman naval history. Born Giovanni Dionigi Galeni at the beginning of the 16th century in Calabria in southern Italy, Kılıç Ali Pasha was captured by the Ottoman navy and forced to work as a galley slave. After taking part in several battles, he converted to Islam, changing his name to Uluç, or the Great, Ali. His skills and success in battle soon earned him his own galley and the rank of captain, and he became known as one of the boldest corsairs in the Mediterranean Sea. He continued to rise through the ranks, and in 1568 Sultan Selim II appointed him governor, or beylerbeyi, of Algiers. I'm not really into the massage steam bath thing but you should try it once in a place like this.

This was by far my favorite activity I did while I was in Istanbul. I went for the full Ab-i Hayat…read morepackage, but they were doing a special of 10% off appts before 1:00 pm so it ended up being $315 dollars. My partner in the process was Selda and she was AMAZING!!! Honestly she made the entire experience. She was respectful but funny and really helped me feel confident and lose my nervousness since it was my first time and I had no idea what to expect. They also gave me a full bar of their soap plus a Turkish towel in a cute bag. After the "wet" portion of the experience, before the oil massage upstairs, I sat in a nice little relaxing area and was brought some sherbet tea, water, and Turkish delight while I rested. Services i got: - Traditional full body scrubbing in the warmest quarter. - Organic Lavender Extract and Sea Salt Refreshing hand and foot peeling. - full body clay mask. - Relaxing bubble wash ritual on the warm marble stone. - Hair wash ritual with redbud scented shampoo. - Aromatherapy Massage with redbud scented oil in the private massage room. - Fresh and dried fruits to finish off the experience. Overall the entire experience took about 2.5 hours and left me feeling so refreshed.

The bathhouse is absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking. The customer service is excellent and so are…read morethe goodies that come with the larger package. It is quite pricy but worth treating yourself to this experience.

Very good hamam experience, this was my first time at a hamam and the staff walked me through the…read morewhole experience. The bath was done carefully and skillfully and left me feeling extra clean ! The space is well maintained, clean and decorated. They offer Turkish delight and tea after your service and have hair products ready to use. Highly recommend. This is a mixed gender hamam

This was my first Turkish hammam experience, everything was amazing from start to finish and…read morestress-free! They guide you every step of the way. You start in a mild sauna in a gorgeous marble room for ~20 min (this room has both men and women together so you are given a towel to wear, can bring bathing suit as well if you like) then you get scrubbed down in a private room afterward by a same-sex person followed by a massage with bubbles. Then to top it off you get a delicious iced tea with Turkish delights. The facility is gorgeous and is one of the oldest such buildings in the area. You can make reservations online - one thing to note is it is cash only. I highly recommend coming here, I've never felt so baby soft and relaxed!

This was the best spa experience of my life. I had a Turkish bath with a Swedish massage. Having…read morenever had a Turkish bath, I did not know what to expect. The women were so gentle and polite. I quickly felt at ease and like I dropped into a new world of pampered delight. The bath was fantastic, as I was scrubbed from head to toe, covered in soft bubbles and rinsed at every step. The room was all white marble with a soft glow, like being inside an egg. After the extensive bath and short rest, I had the best Swedish massage of my life, again in an egg shaped room,but dark and shadowy with soft Turkish music with a hint of California whales. Kind of Turk CA fusion. I was there almost 2 hours an am almost, but not quite, relaxed enough to skip dinner. Ha, not a chance.

First experience at the hammam and loved every bit of it! Wish I had a whole day to spend at the…read morespa ! Everything is super clean and the whole experience relaxing! Going to try out their massages next trip!

Choose this place for many different reasons. They do speak English, which makes it all the easier…read more I didn't choose the massage, but the foam wash and scrub was amazing. Very courteous, extremely helpful for a first timer and a lot of fun.

Affordable and good quality scrub and steam service. Not particularly cruisy which is nice. Zero…read morehassle on a Thursday night. We spent 180 tl for two people plus a 50tl tip for the masseur. They close at 11pm.

Great service and an amazing price. Will be going again next time I am in Istanbul. I had the hot…read morestone, body scrub, bubble massage and oil massage. Took about 1:15 all in all for what amounted to $40 with a tip.

We had a long layover in Istanbul and wanted to do a hammam. This place is walking distance from…read morethe Blue Mosque and worth it!!! We did the full treatment which included a women's only sauna, peeling treatment and oil massage. I can't recommend this place enough for a relaxing time and local experience. Don't miss it.