The Mahmut Pasha Hamam () is a historic Ottoman hamam (

public bathhouse Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...

) in

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

. Founded by Mahmud Pasha, the grand vizier of

Mehmet II Mehmed II ( ota, محمد ثانى, translit=Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; tr, II. Mehmed, ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror ( ota, ابو الفتح, Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit=the Father of Conquest, links=no; tr, Fâtih Su ...

, it was completed in 1466 and is one of the oldest surviving bathhouse structures in the city. It was part of the complex of the Mahmud Pasha Mosque, located northeast of the Grand Bazaar. After suffering damage over time, it was restored in the 20th century and now serves as a local

shopping centre A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre ( Commonwealth English), also called a shopping complex, shopping arcade, shopping plaza or galleria, is a group of shops built together, sometimes under one roof. The first known colle ...

History

The hamam is part of a ''

külliye A külliye ( ota, كلية) is a complex of buildings associated with Turkish architecture centered on a mosque and managed within a single institution, often based on a waqf (charitable foundation) and composed of a madrasa, a Dar al-Shifa ("c ...

,'' a religious and charitable complex that was founded by Mahmud Pasha, the grand vizier of Sultan Mehmet II Fatih "the Conqueror". The main part of the complex, the Mahmut Pasha Mosque, was completed in 1464 and is one of the earliest Ottoman architectural complexes in Istanbul. The ''

waqf A waqf ( ar, وَقْف; ), also known as hubous () or '' mortmain'' property is an inalienable charitable endowment under Islamic law. It typically involves donating a building, plot of land or other assets for Muslim religious or charitab ...

'' ( endowment) of the mosque and its associated charitable buildings was quite extensive, covering a number of different buildings across the surrounding district, which suggests that Mehmet II may have entrusted Mahmud Pasha with developing this district near the commercial heart of the city, just east and north of the area which would become the Grand Bazaar. The hamam of the complex, located northwest of the mosque, was completed in 1466 CE, making it the oldest hamam in the city after the

Tahtakale Hamam The Tahtakale Hamam ( en, Tahtakale Baths) is a historic Ottoman hammam (public bathhouse; ) building in Istanbul, Turkey, close to the Rüstem Pasha Mosque in the Tahtakale neighbourhood, between the Grand Bazaar and Eminönü. Built during the ...

, built slightly earlier. It was damaged by fire in 1755 and was restored in 1953. It served as a storage depot for some time but now houses a shopping centre.

Architecture

The hamam's architecture and layout is very similar to that of the Tahtakale Hamam built by Mehmet II slightly earlier. It was originally a double bathhouse, meaning it had separate (but adjacent) facilities for men and for women, including changing rooms and steam rooms for each. However, the women's section was later demolished to make room for another commercial structure. The surviving building includes a large domed chamber at the entrance which was originally the men's changing room. This is followed by two more domed steam rooms: the tepid room and a hot room. The dome of the changing room, the largest in the Mahmut Pasha complex, is 17 meters in diameter and has

muqarnas Muqarnas ( ar, مقرنص; fa, مقرنس), also known in Iranian architecture as Ahoopāy ( fa, آهوپای) and in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe, is a form of ornamented vaulting in Islamic architecture. It is the archetypal form of I ...

squinches at its corners. The dome of the warm room is richly carved and preceded by a ribbed or scallop-shaped half-dome, the earliest surviving example of a half-dome in Istanbul. The hot room is octagonal and covered by another dome, and has four ''

iwan An iwan ( fa, ایوان , ar, إيوان , also spelled ivan) is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called , a Persian term for a portal projecting ...

''s or niches in the walls which could be used for individual washing. At its centre was a large octagonal platform, the ''göbektaşı'', where guests could lie down for massages''.'' Three small domed rooms, used for private washing or services, were accessible on either side (to the north and south). File:Mahmut Pasha Hamam DSCF1325.jpg, The dome of the changing room File:Mahmut Pasha Hamam DSCF1329.jpg, The half-dome of the warm room File:Mahmut Pasha Hamam DSCF1327.jpg, The main dome over the warm room

References

{{Ottoman architecture Buildings and structures in Istanbul category:Public baths in Turkey Ottoman baths