The Çinili Hammam, which is among the most distinguished examples of Ottoman bath architecture, will open its doors to the public for the 17th Istanbul Biennial, offering a first look at the building following a major 12-year restoration.
Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), the biennial is set to be held between Sept. 17 and Nov. 20. As one of the primary venues for the biennial, the Çinili Hammam will host two large-scale contemporary art installations, providing a unique opportunity for visitors to see the space for free before its major opening in 2023. Alongside the baths, the transformed hammam complex will include an event space and an exclusive museum showcasing the role of bathing in Ottoman history and culture, as well as the artifacts from the Roman, Byzantium and Ottoman Empires found during the renovation process.
The Çinili Hammam was commissioned by Ottoman Grand Admiral Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha in 1540 to Mimar Sinan, considered the greatest architect of the Ottoman Empire. Named after its exquisite blue-turquoise tiles ( as "çinili" means "tiled" in Turkish), the hammam is a unique piece of Istanbul’s cultural heritage. It is situated in the Zeyrek neighborhood within the Fatih district, above the city’s Byzantine cisterns which used to supply water directly to the hammam. Zeyrek is one of the four conservation areas of Istanbul included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
During the Istanbul Biennial, the hammam will feature artworks by Taloi Havini and Renato Leotta. Sound is an important component of both installations, which were selected especially to be exhibited at the Çinili Hammam due to the acoustic properties of its architecture.
Since 2010, the Çinili Hammam has undergone a major restoration program, including archaeological excavations to further understand the building’s history, and conservation work to preserve this important example of Ottoman bath architecture. Over the years, the hammam had fallen into disrepair, with the majority of its extraordinary tiles sold and scattered across Europe, ending up in private and museum collections including London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. Fragments uncovered during the restoration have revealed that more than 10,000 tiles with 37 unique designs once decorated the hammam’s inner walls.
When it reopens in 2023, examples of these tiles and other historically significant finds from the Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman periods will be exhibited in a new museum adjacent to the baths, which will also include a special display exploring hammam culture and traditions. A new heating system will return the baths to public use, allowing local people and visitors to enjoy them for decades to come.
The restoration project of the hammam is led by The Marmara Group.