Türkiye’s Zeyrek Çinili Hamam and Diyarbakır Express Among Time’s Top 100 Destinations Worldwide
TIME Magazine, famous for its influential rankings, has released its “2024 World’s Greatest Places List,” which offers 100 extraordinary destinations to explore. The prestigious selection includes Türkiye’s Zeyrek Çinili Hamam in İstanbul and touristic Diyarbakır Express, highlighting both locations’ cultural and historical significance.
The “2024 World’s Greatest Places List” has been prepared in two categories as “places to stay” and “places to visit”, with an exclusive focus on destinations offering fresh and exciting experiences. While last year’s list featured 50 cities, the latest list explores more specific establishments that stand out in their field and the world. The Zeyrek Çinili Hamam and the weekly Diyarbakır Express have earned a spot on the list’s “places to visit” category.
A Journey Through Time: Restored Zeyrek Çinili Hamam
The Zeyrek Çinili Hamam is a 500-year-old treasure in İstanbul, located in Zeyrek, previously designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the title “Historic Areas of İstanbul”. Ottoman admiral Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha commissioned Zeyrek Çinili Hamam during the glorious reign of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I, also known as Suleiman the Magnificent. The greatest Ottoman architect, Mimar Sinan, designed the structure.
The Zeyrek Çinili Hamam has reopened its doors following an ambitious thirteen-year restoration project. Today, the structure continues to function as a hamam and contributes to the city’s cultural life through its museum building and cultural events. TIME mentioned that visitors are bathing in not only luxury but also history in the hamam, whose soaring dome is studded with star-shaped skylights. The magazine also emphasised that the hamam’s museum part displays Eastern Empire’s stone carvings and pottery found during the restoration and accessories of the Ottoman hamam culture, like exquisite bathing bowls and mother-of-pearl combs. Additionally, the museum showcases the original layout of the hamam’s vibrant blue-and-white patterned tiles and traces where some of the missing pieces ended up, including London’s Victoria and Albert Museum collection.
A Cultural Odyssey: Scenic Diyarbakır Express
The second noteworthy location on the TIME list, the touristic Diyarbakır Express, is the new sightseeing train journeying from Anatolia’s heart to the eastern mountains. Launched in April by the government-run Turkish State Railways, the scenic train route departs from the Turkish capital of Ankara. It arrives in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır, known as the cradle of civilisations, as it has been to some 33 cultures, with a 24-hour journey.
Regarding the train’s features, TIME stated that the 180-person-capacity train has cosy sleeper cabins equipped with sinks and mini-fridges and a dining car serving Turkish favourites like meatballs. The magazine also touched on train stops in several tourist destinations offering travellers a unique journey through the heart of Türkiye, such as Malatya, home to the Bronze Age site of Arslantepe, Elazığ, where the hilltop Harput Castle rises, and the former Seljuk stronghold of Kayseri, shadow of the dormant volcano Mount Erciyes.