From the Galata Bridge to Sehzadebasi - Strolling Through Istanbul: The Classic Guide to the City - page 222

Mustafa Efendi was Judge of Istanbul in Fatih's reign. It was once a
handsome edifice, built entirely of ashlar stone, its square chamber
covered by a dome on pendentives, preceded by a porch with two
domes and three columns. It was burned in the great fire of 1917
which consumed most of this district, but even in its ruined state
it was a fine and dignified structure. In 1954-6 the building was
restored, with a thin veneer of brick and stone, à la Byzantine ,
covering the original structure, and the interior was redecorated. In
our opinion the restoration was unfortunate: it obscures what was
still attractive, and is not true to the spirit of the original structure.
Returning to the Pantepoptes, we now retrace our steps to Şeyh
Süleyman Mescidi. (Those who don't care to follow the same route
back might look for an alternative way through this run-down but
picturesque old neighbourhood.) Once arrived at the mescit we
continue on past it to the end of the street. There we find ourselves
once again on the stepped path which led up from Atatürk Bulvarı, a
little way above the mektep of Zenbelli Ali Baba. Here we turn right
and continue uphill along Itfaiye Caddesi.
ÇİNİLİ HAMAM
A short distance along on our left we come to an ancient hamam
of considerable interest. This is Çinili Hamam, the Tiled Bath, an
early work of Sinan: it was built in about 1545 for the great admiral
Hayrettin Paşa, known in the West as Barbarossa. It is a double
bath, the men's and women's sections lying side by side and the two
entrances, rather unusually, being in the same façade: the plans are
almost identical. In the centre of the great camekân is an elaborate
and beautiful marble fountain with goldfish swimming in it. The
narrow soğukluk with two little semidomes at each end leads to the
cruciform hararet, where the open arms of the cross are covered with
tiny domes, the rooms in the corners each having a larger one. Here
and there on the walls are small panels of faience and the floor is
of opus sectile. In the camekân fragments of a more elaborate wall a
revetment of tiles of a later period may be seen. A half-century ago
this fine hamam was abandoned and fell into a state of decay, but
now it has been restored and is now once again in use.