The Balkan Public Baths as a Public Building (according to Information by Travelers of the 15th–19th Centuries)

Authors:

Pages: 341-345

Abstract:

The report focuses on Turkish baths (hammams) as part of the monumental architectural design of the Balkan cities during the XV–XIX centuries аccording to the travel notes of western travellers. The Public baths of the Ottoman Turks in the lands of the Balkans are one of the most distinctive public buildings associated with the Oriental way of life and Islam during this period. These facilities were built with great skill and enviable technique, with notable drainage, ventilation systems etc. There is no doubt that the Turkish cult of water and the belief of the Turks that water is sacred and blessed were at the root of this construction and transformation of the hamams into some of the most impressive monuments of the secular architecture. With their impressive size, unique architectural design and interior decoration, they are a real center of social life, recreation and entertainment. Therefore, Turkish baths catch the attention of a stranger, who describes them as very colorful in his travel notes. The report presents both the external layout and the internal distribution, structure and decoration of the premises. With their specific wall plates and domes which are imposing in height and size, these eastern types of buildings form part of the basic elements of streets and urban square areas between the 15th and 19th centuries, and today many of them have become architectural landmarks.

Keywords:

Turkish baths (hammams), Balkans, Balkan cities

Download

France / Portugal / Cote D'Ivoire / United Kingdom / Europe / United States / Hungary / Germany / NA / Russian Federation / China / India / Sweden / Bulgaria / Ireland / Turkey / Serbia / Ukraine