Samples of Kalemişi Work of the Çinili Bath Restoration with Zeyrek

Abstract

Zeyrek Çinili Bath is a double bath, which is important in terms of its architecture, traditional heating system and decorative elements. As a result of the Çinili Bath Conservation-Repair and Rehabilitation Project, which was started in 2010, the bath function of the building and the resulting kalemişi will be preserved. This structure was built in order to bring income to the foundations established by Barbarossa Hayrettin Pasha in Istanbul. Although Zeyrek Çinili Hamam does not have a construction or revival inscription, there is no doubt that it was built by the Chief Architect Sinan. The name of the bath is mentioned in the biographies that list the structures built by Mimar Sinan and in the charter of Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha. Mimar Sinan has always been in search of new ones in the plan scheme of bath architecture, provided that he adheres to the basic principles of Turkish classical baths. As a result of the restoration works, the kalemişi in the men’s and women’s dressing
areas of the bath, which added a different dimension to the building, was brought to light. The first layer of kalemişi during the repairs after the Cibali fires belong to 1850. The most qualified kalemişi that have survived to the present day are dated to the years 1850-1890. The kalemişi, which are dated to the 19th century and applied in two periods, are brought to the literature for the first time with this article. While the decorations of the lower sections are in layers applied on top of each other, the black and white kalemişi work on the upper sections of the walls and the dome transition is in a single layer. A comparison was made between the kalemişi added to the Classical Period buildings in the 19th century and these decorations, and the similarities were revealed with examples.