New Thermal Baths
Bursa, Türkiye
Evliya Çelebi, a Turkish traveler in the 17th century, says Süleyman I ordered his vizier Rüstem Pasa to rebuild the small baths in Bursa with sulfurous hot spring water where he was cured of his gout. The New Thermal Baths, Yeni Kaplica, was built in 1552 (960 A.H.) using plans possibly designed by Master Builder, Sinan. The kaplica consists of entrance hall on the north, opening to tepidarium (sogukluk) that leads to the hot room (harara) to the south. Privy chambers and depilation rooms are accessed from the tepidarium. The plan of the hot room is a square (exterior wall) inscribed by an octagon (arches supporting dome) inscribed by a circle (large pool). The arches delineate six eyvans, a niche with fountain and the entrance at the opposite end. Four of the eyvans open to private bathing rooms (halvet) at the corners of the exterior wall. A lion's mouth that adorned the fountain, no longer exists. The decorative tiles on the walls of the hot room and the eyvan basins were brought from Timurtas baths. The construction is masonry and the domes are covered with lead on the exterior.

A wooden addition to the baths contains hotel rooms. The mescid in front of the kaplica was built later in 1680.

Sources:

Aru, Kemal Ahmet. Türk hamamlari etüdü. Istanbul Matbaacilik, T.A.O: Istanbul, 1949.

Baykal, Kazim. Bursa ve Anitlari. Türkiye Anit Çevre Turizm Degerlerini Koruma Vakfi: 1982, Istanbul. (Edited reprint of original from 1950) .

Harrell, Betsy. Bursa Rehberi (translated by Suna Asimgil). Redhouse Yayinevi: Istanbul, 1980.

Gabriel, Albert. Une Capitale Turque, Brousse, Bursa. Paris, E. de Boccard, 1958.
Location
On Bursa-Izmir road, south of Kültürpark, Bursa, Türkiye
Images & Videos
Associated Names
Events
1520-1566
Style Periods
1299-1922
Variant Names
Yeni Kaplica
Variant
Building Usages
baths