The oldest and largest Ottoman bathhouse in Greece, Thessaloniki’s iconic Bey Hamam—popularly known as the “Paradise Baths”—has officially reopened its doors following an extensive €1.5 million restoration funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
Erected in 1444 by Sultan Murad II just over a decade after the Ottoman conquest of the city, this magnificent structure stood as a bustling centerpiece of social and commercial life for 500 years. Remarkably, it continued functioning as a public bathhouse well into the 20th century, finally closing its doors in 1968 before being acquired by the Greek state a few years later.
During the reopening ceremony, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni stated: “Returning yet another historic monument to the citizens of Thessaloniki is a deeply significant milestone for the city and its cultural identity. Thessaloniki possesses a unique cultural wealth, which the State is obligated to protect, highlight, and utilize as social and developmental capital.”
The monument is designed as a double bath, featuring distinct, parallel sections for men and women that share no internal connection. Each section follows the traditional Ottoman layout, transitioning from cold to warm and hot rooms, accompanied by various utility spaces. The cold rooms retain early 20th-century internal balconies that once served as changing quarters.
The interiors are crowned by domes of varying sizes, punctured by circular openings designed for natural light and ventilation. The complex boasting exceptional architectural ornamentation, including surviving remnants of relief plasterwork on the masonry and dome bases dating back to its original 15th-century construction.
Additionally, later-period painted frescoes are preserved within the cold and warm zones of the men’s section and the warm zone of the women’s section. In the 1930s, an eclectic-style building was appended to the eastern side of the complex to house commercial storefronts.
Now fully restored, the Bey Hamam is once again seamlessly integrated into Thessaloniki‘s everyday life, firmly reclaiming its spot on the city’s cultural map as a prime venue for historical memory and artistic expression.
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