Publication Date
67-549/ 72-1154
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;sy;Mon01;13;ar
Library Location
Al-Buzuriyah Market, Damascus, Syria
Date
67-549/ 72-1154
Notes
Nour al-Din Hammam is considered one of the oldest hammams in Damascus. It is in good artistic condition and is still in use today. This bath is one of the large structures built by Nur al-Din, in addition to the madrasa and bimaristan located nearby. The bathroom is located inside the Al-Bazouria market, in the middle of a row of shops selling spices and sweets, which makes its entrance closely related to the market. The mashallah is a large, domed room immediately following the entrance. It is used for resting and changing clothes. The large room dates back to the Ottoman period, which is unusual. It contains six iwans symmetrical around an axis, and an octagonal basin in the middle. Since this was the only room that did not reach steam, wooden furnishings were used that change with fashion. In this place, bathers take off their clothes and put their shoes in small niches located under the terrace, before replacing them with light household shoes. The bathing halls that are still in use today basically date back to the period of Nur al-Din, and the bathing experience begins from the furthest point from the entrance, from the barani, which is the cold water rooms, consisting of three consecutive square rooms octagonal on the inside, and covered with domes of different sizes. The middle room is the largest, and contains the corridor that connects to Al-Wastani, which is the warm water rooms. The architectural style of the bath emphasizes the centrality of the Wastani. It is a perfectly symmetrical octagonal shape, covered by a dome that rises above a neck with 16 niches. Its diagonal walls open to small compartments entered through doorways with pointed arches, and are intended for bathers who require some privacy. The corridors connected to the front and back sides of the octagon lead to the hot and cold areas, respectively, while the right and left sides are connected by trapezoidal corridors that open to two additional rectangular rooms, each surmounted by two small octagonal niches. These rooms were usually used for services such as massage and hair removal. Finally, one reaches the jawani, which is the hot water room, consisting of a large rectangular space with curved sides, covered by a bed vault. Steam enters the room through an opening connected to the fire house, which is the hottest room where bathers can sit on stone benches and sweat to deeply cleanse their skin. Regular access to and enjoyment of water is considered paradise on earth, and a trip to the bathroom usually concludes with a word of “bliss.”
Sample Text
Abd al-Razzaq Moaz, Zena Takieddine “Nur al-Din Hammam” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;sy;Mon01;13;ar
