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Since 1726

A city bathhouse, three centuries in.

Ürgüp Hamam has been part of the town's civic architecture since the early eighteenth century.

1726Year of construction

Timeline

Four moments.

  1. 1726–1727

    Construction of the bathhouse

    Old records place the construction of Ürgüp City Bath in 1726–1727, during the era of Damat İbrahim Pasha. Built in the quarter then inhabited by the Greek community, it became a shared civic bath for the town.

  2. 1900–1902

    Documented restoration

    The building undergoes a documented restoration that consolidates its stonework and functional elements while preserving its original layout.

  3. Until 1924

    A bath shared by two communities

    Turkish and Greek residents lived together in Ürgüp until the population exchange, and both communities used the bathhouse as part of the town's everyday social life.

  4. Today

    Still a working bath

    Ürgüp City Bath remains the town's only historic Turkish bath still operating in its original role — a living building that visitors can experience rather than only observe.

Historic cut-stone entrance of Ürgüp Hamam with an oval ironwork window and traditional rug.
Cut-stone detail, close to the entrance.

The inscription

One civic story, recorded in two languages.

The marble inscription above the entrance is written in Greek and Karamanlı — Turkish expressed with Greek letters. Together, the texts describe a community work made possible by shared effort and preserve the name of its builder, Haralambos Hacı Savva.

Greek inscription

“We built this bath to fulfil a heartfelt desire for our homeland. May everyone bathe in it and offer prayers for our health. May all people, rich and poor, bathe here. God grants wishes to those who make an effort.”

Karamanlı Turkish inscription

“This bath was built through the voluntary efforts and contributions of our Cappadocian people. May everyone bathe in it with pleasure, and may God give strength to all who helped. Builder: Haralambos Hacı Savva.”

Today

The building has not been reduced to a museum display. It remains what it was built to be: a working Turkish bath in the middle of a Cappadocian town.

Historical rooms now meet professional hammam, spa and massage care. Guests can also pause at the domed café terrace overlooking Ürgüp, with parking beside the building.