AI Summary & Key Takeaways
AI InsightIn conclusion, the Kazlıçeşme Bath represents a significant example for understanding the development of Ottoman bath architecture in the peripheral industrial areas of Istanbul.
📌 3 Key Takeaways
Abstract
This study presents a comprehensive archaeological and architectural assessment of the Kazlıçeşme Bath (Hamam) located in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul. The structure, which had long remained abandoned and in ruins, was partially revealed during a rescue excavation conducted in 2010 under the supervision of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. Despite its historical significance within the city’s maritime and industrial topography, the Kazlıçeşme Bath has not previously been the subject of a detailed archaeological study. This research re-evaluates the physical remains uncovered during the excavation and assesses the building within the broader context of Ottoman bath architecture, based on primary archaeological data, measured drawings, and on-site architectural observations. The study first examines the historical and geographical background of the Kazlıçeşme district, located outside the Theodosian land walls, which developed as a vital settlement and production hub during the Ottoman period. Its proximity to the seashore and major transportation routes increased its economic importance, turning it into a center of tanning and leather production where numerous debbağhanes (tanneries) operated from the early Ottoman period onward. Within this framework, the Kazlıçeşme Bath is evaluated as a functional component of this production-oriented landscape, closely connected to the daily life of the local community and functionally related to the surrounding industrial district. To determine the probable construction period and patronage of the bath, various written and visual sources were synthesized with material evidence, including archival documents, Ottoman bath registers (hamam defterleri), historical maps, and earlier scholarly studies. While these sources indicate that the bath was associated with the waqf of Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Paşa in later periods, architectural features and early archival data—specifically related to the II. Bayezid Waqf—suggest that the structure’s origins may date back to the late fifteenth century. The bath appears to have functioned as a facility allocated to the “hassa debbağlar” (imperial tanners), corresponding to a specific type referred to in archival sources as a Salhane/Zenek bath. Archaeological remains uncovered during the 2010 excavation provide essential information about the spatial organization of the building, where the main sections of an Ottoman bath were identified, including the soyunmalık (changing hall), ılıklık (tepidarium), sıcaklık (caldarium), and külhan (furnace room). Elements of the heating system, such as hypocaust channels and water conduits, were documented through measured drawings, allowing a reconstruction of the probable original layout. The bath appears to conform to the “central domed, transverse sıcaklık with double halvet” plan type. Construction techniques visible in the remaining walls, particularly the alternating stone and brick masonry, reflect common Ottoman building practices of the era. Traces of later architectural interventions, reused materials, and patch masonry indicate phases of repair and modification, especially during the nineteenth century when tanning activities intensified in the district. Changes in the urban structure and the decline of residential functions eventually led to the abandonment of the structure. In conclusion, the Kazlıçeşme Bath represents a significant example for understanding the development of Ottoman bath architecture in the peripheral industrial areas of Istanbul. The reassessment of the 2010 rescue excavation data contributes to the documentation of an understudied structure and provides new insights into the relationship between Ottoman urban production zones and social infrastructure from a kentsel arkeoloji (urban archaeology) perspective.
Özet
Bu çalışmanın amacı, İstanbul’un Zeytinburnu ilçesi Kazlıçeşme semtinde yer alan, literatürde yeterince incelenmemiş ve günümüzde harap durumda olan Kazlıçeşme Hamamı’nın mimari özelliklerini, plan kurgusunu ve sosyo-ekonomik bağlamını bilimsel veriler ışığında ortaya koymaktır. Ayrıca çalışma, Kazlıçeşme Hamamı’nı hem mimari özellikleri hem de çevresindeki üretim alanları ile olan ilişkisi bağlamında kentsel arkeoloji perspektifiyle değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırmanın yöntemi kapsamında; İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzeleri tarafından 2010 yılında gerçekleştirilen arkeolojik kurtarma kazısı verileri, rölöve çizimleri ve yerinde yapılan mimari tespitler; Evliya Çelebi Seyahatnâmesi, 18. yüzyıl hamam defterleri ve arşiv belgeleriyle disiplinlerarası bir yaklaşımla sentezlenmiştir. Ayrıca yapı, tipolojik açıdan İstanbul’daki benzer hamam örnekleriyle karşılaştırmalı olarak analiz edilmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda ulaşılan bulgular, inşa kitabesi bulunmayan yapının mimari üslup özellikleri ve erken tarihli arşiv kayıtları (II. Bayezid Vakfı) üzerinden kökeninin 15. yüzyıl sonuna kadar uzanabileceğine işaret etmektedir. Yapının, özellikle “Hassa Debbağlar” için tahsis edilmiş bir “Salhane/Zenek Hamamı” olarak işlev gördüğü ve 17. yüzyıl sonunda Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Paşa Vakfı mülkiyetine geçtiği anlaşılmaktadır. Arkeolojik veriler, hamamın “ortası kubbeli, enine sıcaklıklı ve çifte halvetli” bir plan şemasına sahip olduğunu ve Osmanlı kentsel dokusunda üretim bölgeleri (debbağhaneler) ile sosyal altyapı arasındaki simbiyotik ilişkiyi yansıtan işlevsel bir örnek teşkil ettiğini göstermektedir. Sonuç olarak çalışma, yapının yüzyıllar içindeki kullanım değişimini (hamam-atölye-çay ocağı) belgeleyerek, Kazlıçeşme’nin endüstriyel mirası içindeki özgün yerini saptamayı hedeflemektedir.