History
It was built by Rıdvan Bey, one of the emirs of the Seljuk Sultan Mesud, and later Ottoman sultan II. Bayezid's wife, Bülbül Hatun, bought this bath from its owner, repaired it and added it to her foundation. .The land, which was the property of Amasya Emir Şadgeldi Pasha, later became the property of Bülbül Hatun. Hamam, located to the west of Hatuniye Social Complex The bath, called Yıldiz Hamami / Cukur hamami / Asagi Hamam /Çelebiler bath, is seen as a part of the Social Complex today. However, it existed before the construction of the Social Complex and was repaired by Bülbül Hatun. The inner floor of the bath is 2.50m lower than the other parts of the complex and in November 1409 the mention of Yakut Pasha’s name in the foundation charter confirms that the bath was built by Rıdvan Bey, one of the emirs of the Seljuk Sultan Mesud .
The legend of Rıdvan Bey
Ridvan Bey, mentioned during the reign of Seljuk Sultan Masud I (Rukn al-Din Masud, 1116–1156), was a military-administrative figure with the status of emir/bey, serving in the frontier regions of the Anatolian Seljuk State. While detailed biographical information is limited in the sources, Seljuk emirs typically undertook the following functions: They served as military commanders loyal to the Sultan; they managed defense and conquest activities in the frontier regions; they maintained an army with the iqta (land grants/income) allocated to them; and they were responsible for local order and taxation. Ridvan Bey's name is particularly mentioned in the context of the ghaza and defense activities carried out against Byzantium on the western and northwestern borders of Anatolia. Such emirs played an important role in strengthening Seljuk authority in Anatolia during the reign of Masud.
Yıldız Hamamı
Yıldız Bath (Çukur Hamam / Aşağı Hamam / Çelebiler Hamam) – Amasya The Yıldız Bath is one of the historical baths in Amasya and is an important cultural asset associated with the Hatuniye Complex today. Its historical development is as follows: It is said that this bath was built by Rıdvan Bey, one of the commanders of the Seljuk Sultan Mesud. Sources indicate that it is among the works of the Seljuk period. Later, this bath was purchased by Bülbül Hatun, the wife of Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II, repaired, and included in her foundation. The land on which the bath is located was initially the property of the Emir of Amasya, Şadgeldi Pasha, but later passed into the ownership of Bülbül Hatun. Although it is generally considered today as a part of the Hatuniye Complex located to the west, it is known that there was a bath here before the construction of the complex and that it was later restored by Bülbül Hatun. The interior floor of the structure is approximately 2.50 m lower than other parts of the complex; its mention in the 1409 Yakut Pasha endowment deed also points to the historical origins of the bathhouse. This information shows that the Yıldız Bathhouse has Seljuk-era origins and was restored and utilized within a social and charitable structure during the Ottoman period.
