Soaking Up History

For nearly five decades, Mimar Sinan-otherwise known simply as Grand Sinan-oversaw all major construction projects for the Ottoman Empire, reshaping the greater Mediterranean area one bridge, mosque, and mausoleum at a time.

- SAM COCHRAN

Today, five centuries later, a little-known wonder by the architect is welcoming back the public in Istanbul. The Zeyrek Çinili Hamam, so named for the blue Iznik tiles that once lined it, first opened around 1540, its domed rooms a breathtaking backdrop for communal bathing. History took its toll (those tiles, for instan