{"item":{"id":"6904b9f0-57d5-4d53-9b10-386b9fd6a773","type":"more_cultures","name":"Zeyrek \u00c7inili Hamam","address":"Zeyrek, \u0130tfaiye Cd. No:44, 34083 Fatih\/\u0130stanbul, T\u00fcrkiye","rating":"4.7","image_url":"https:\/\/maps.googleapis.com\/maps\/api\/place\/photo?maxwidth=800&photo_reference=AU_ZVEFv-ie_qNGvQkoHEg9rpADZ4CpSnpc2jHupjgNgmj11XAPCWQq2oe8dFrJtL6FYvJXztpYhSnfJKGAb1WRUcf_0EPat1ocY2HiddIA2dQfVg0qINrEW7JAt_dA7APIV26UGAy2A1BIYpKROHj5IgUbQTzDCoSvRSoU8PigFJ1hCxqScN46uhWW0hvpg3sQ6OE4E1Yt1lHIyGI19SM-2r18xLrOVrnGgRWTamp-81Kt2Af8IXTkplWhh7Vk-V_OmOqFQ4YxaphQ4a-KDdI1hz12pWduJkmg0B8TTtqKXf17PQH6pmLCE3PMP_KgeE7_cQ4tSZnCT9lWB91TlrzJIxQhOJhODpgs3pJsWrnUWTG8aZn0k_S2wswfy3oCpuSrhgO-A2jcCW3FPwEdrS1Qq4oCgOtOGB4snle_ZZVLWAsk&key=AIzaSyAExvn1ZhEMX9qHAZxKD1_q7ymxnBVjLsY","place_id":"ChIJrWFW-4q5yhQRr4WOzkBo24o"},"place":{"name":"Zeyrek \u00c7inili Hamam","phone":"(0212) 521 22 21","types":["establishment","museum","point_of_interest","tourist_attraction"],"rating":4.7,"address":"Zeyrek, \u0130tfaiye Cd. No:44, 34083 Fatih\/\u0130stanbul, T\u00fcrkiye","reviews":[{"text":"I am writing this review in English so that visitors from around the world can discover one of Istanbul's lesser-known historical treasures.\n\n\"Zeyrek Cinili Hamam\" is much more than a bathhouse. It is a piece of living history. After an extensive restoration, it looks remarkably good today, especially compared to how I remember it decades ago. The renovation has brought new life to a place that has served Istanbul residents for centuries.\n\nWhat makes this review different is that my connection to this hamam goes back more than 50 years.\n\nMy first visit was sometime around 1974, when I was only three or four years old. Believe it or not, I still remember parts of it, though the memories now feel almost dreamlike. I was taken to the women's section with my mother and either my grandmother (mother's side) or my other grandmother (papa's side) , along with several female relatives. I can still remember women sitting beside the fountains washing themselves, hot water flowing constantly, and the incredible echo inside the building. The acoustics are unforgettable. If two or three people are talking at once, and they usually are, the sound bounces everywhere. Add the flowing water, steam, conversation, and laughter, and it becomes a soundtrack all its own.\n\nI returned again in 1999 as a young man, this time entering through the men's section. It was surprisingly quiet that day, which makes me think it must have been a weekday. I found a smaller alcove near one of the fountains and spent a long time washing and relaxing. At one point I even sang to myself just to hear how the sound echoed through the chambers. The hamam may be one of the few places in the world where your voice instantly convinces you that perhaps a recording contract is just around the corner.\n\nAs I sat listening to the echoes and flowing water, it occurred to me that countless others had sat in the same spot for nearly five hundred years, since being built. Sultans, sailors, merchants, laborers, grandfathers, fathers, and sons all came here before me. The faces changed, but the sound of water beneath those domes remained the same.\n\nAfterward, I sat in my private changing room drinking hot tea. It tasted wonderful. I think I spent more than two hours there that day without realizing how much time had passed.\n\nThe hamam itself deserves tremendous credit for its restoration. When I visited in 1999, it clearly showed its age. Today it looks cared for, preserved, and respected.\n\nThe surrounding neighborhood, however, is a different story. Zeyrek is one of the oldest parts of Istanbul and carries all the character, history, and challenges that come with that. Some nearby streets appear neglected, with litter and signs of wear that detract from the visitor experience. To be fair, that is not the hamam's responsibility. If anything, I wish residents and local authorities would take greater pride in maintaining the surroundings of such an important historical site. A treasure like this area, deserves an equally welcoming setting.\n\nThis is also a bit out of the way compared to Istanbul's most famous attractions. Most tourists will never accidentally find themselves here. But those willing to leave the usual routes behind will discover something authentic, something that has been part of the daily life of Istanbul residents for generations.\n\nLike many places in the Fatih district, this hamam connects me to childhood, family, and memories that reach back more than half a century. The building has changed. I have changed. Yet somehow both of us are still here.\n\nFor history, restoration quality, and personal memories, it earns 5 stars from my heart. For the overall visitor experience and surrounding area, I will give it 4.\n\nAnd honestly, after all these years, I am just happy that both the hamam and my memories survived this long.","author":"Ridvan Akbay","rating":4,"time_description":"a month ago"},{"text":"Thoroughly enjoyed my first Turkish bath here.  The facilities are exceptionally clean and the experience was wonderful from start to finish.  Recommend visiting the museum first to better appreciate the history and extensive renovation if this is your first time.","author":"Joshua Ziel","rating":5,"time_description":"3 months ago"}],"website":"http:\/\/zeyrekcinilihamam.com\/","price_level":null,"opening_hours":["Monday: Closed","Tuesday: 8:00\u202fAM\u2009\u2013\u200910:00\u202fPM","Wednesday: 8:00\u202fAM\u2009\u2013\u200910:00\u202fPM","Thursday: 8:00\u202fAM\u2009\u2013\u200910:00\u202fPM","Friday: 8:00\u202fAM\u2009\u2013\u200910:00\u202fPM","Saturday: 8:00\u202fAM\u2009\u2013\u200910:00\u202fPM","Sunday: 8:00\u202fAM\u2009\u2013\u200910:00\u202fPM"],"ratings_total":640,"google_maps_url":"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/?cid=10005705624686331311","photo_url":"https:\/\/artatlas.global\/storage\/google-places\/photos\/109b2088aa51fde336b57d4abe3573f3dfc2fe38.jpg"},"attached":false}