Istanbul's historic baths keep hammam tradition alive

Discover the history and restoration of ancient Ottoman hammams in Istanbul, preserving a cultural bathing tradition for future generations.

For centuries, hammams were central to Ottoman society, and while they fell out of use in Turkey with the advent of running water, many are being restored to revive an ancient ritual bathing tradition.

Often featured in older Turkish films, hammam scenes are highly entertaining, with women not only bathing but enjoying these historical bathhouses as a place to socialise, eat, drink and even dance.

Last year, the 500-year-old Zeyrek Cinili Hammam -- built during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent by the celebrated Ottoman architect Sinan -- reopened to the public after a painstaking 13-year restoration.

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Alongside a functioning hammam, it also houses a museum explaining its history and the Ottoman ritual of bathing.

"The restoration somehow turned into an archaeological dig" that gave insight into how the hammam once looked, museum manager Beril Gur Tanyeli told AFP.

"Around 3,000 pieces of missing tiles were found which helped solve the puzzle of why this hammam was called Cinili" -- Turkish for "covered with tiles".