Tuğlu Hamamı

Tuğlu Hamamı is on Efeler Sokağı in Kilis's Merkez district, a few steps from the Great Mosque (Ulu Cami). The building was commissioned in 1785 by Daldabanzade Mehmet Pasha, the beylerbeyi (governor) of Kilis; it was built about two centuries after the city's other historic hammams, most of which date from the 16th century. Notable for its cut-stone walls and brick dome, the hammam is also known locally as Toğlu Hamamı.
At the entrance is the cooling section: a changing room with a deep dome, an octagonal lantern and a fountain. The hot room has four iwans, four halvets (private alcoves) and seven kurnas (marble basins) in all; the navel stone (the heated marble platform) in the centre is made of black and red marble. The facade shows geometric decoration created with black, white, yellow and red stones.
After a restoration by the Gaziantep Regional Directorate of Foundations, the hammam stayed closed for about twenty years until it was reopened in July 2022 by its operator, Yusuf Güler. Today the building works as a traditional Turkish bath and welcomes women and men at different times; at the reopening, daytime was reserved for women and evenings for men.
A good choice for local people and visitors to Kilis who want to experience the hammam tradition in a historic building. As the women's and men's hours can change from season to season, it is worth phoning before you go to ask about the current arrangements.