Outer cooling room of the bath near Samatya in Istanbul

Description

Featured in the 1836 collaborative work of Thomas Allom and Robert Walsh, this steel engraving depicts the 'cooling room' (camekân/soğukluk) of a historical Ottoman bathhouse (hammam) near Samatya (Psamathia) in Istanbul. While detailing the architectural magnificence of the space—the classical arches, high dome, and the elegant fountain in the center—the artwork presents an authentic atmosphere with drying peshtemals (towels) hanging from the arches. By illustrating civilians resting on raised platforms after bathing, drinking coffee, and being served by bath attendants (tellaks) in the foreground and midground, the artwork aesthetically documents the advanced water civilization, urban hygiene infrastructure, and the function of hammams as active spaces of social interaction in the Ottoman capital.