Iranian Bathhouse

One of the attractions that you will see when traveling to Iran is the beautiful Iranian bathhouses. The Iranian architects built bathhouses with very clever architecture and mostly for public purposes. Only famous and rich people had a bathhouse in their house. In this article, we will explain the structure of traditional Iranian baths.

Function of Iranian Bathhouse

The Iranian bathhouse is a public building with multiple sections to keep the heat inside. For Iranians, cleanliness had been very important before Islam, and with the acceptance of Islam the importance of cleanliness pursued. In addition to being a washing building, the bathhouse was also a gathering place for local people.

The workers always separated men’s and women’s bathhouses. Sometimes the men’s and women’s baths were located in two different locations, in others, there was a bath from morning to evening for women to use and from evening to sunset, for men to use.

People also performed various rituals such as the Hanabandan, or the bathing of the bride before the wedding, and bathing the mothers who had just given birth in the bathhouse.

Another use of the bath was for mothers to find a suitable wife for their unmarried sons.

Structure of Iranian Bathhouse

In general, Iranian architects built all traditional baths a few meters underground. There were two reasons for doing this: first, to keep the heat inside, and second, to get closer to the bathhouse water source, which was an aqueduct or water well.

Ancients Persians didn’t approve of going suddenly from cold to warm temperatures and vice versa. Knowing this, Iranian architects in the past built a long, curved corridor at the entrance of the bathhouse to prevent people from getting afflicted by sudden temperature changes.

The cloakroom was a large, covered space with a pool in the middle and platforms all around it. This pool was part of the cloakroom decorations and people also used it for washing their feet.

In general, because people spent most of their time in this section, this part of the bathroom had the most beautiful decorations.

Servants served tea and hookah in this area. In some bathrooms, there was a barber who shaved men’s heads.

Iranian Bathhouse

Cloakroom of Hammam

Miandar is a narrow corridor that connects the cloakroom and the Khazineh or pool. This section kept the air in the cloakroom and the Khazineh separated and was a mediating space.

This is the hottest part of the bathhouse and has two large pools, one filled with hot water and the other with cold water.

Khazineh was a place where water was heated. There was a firebox under or next to the pool that heated the water. There was a chimney to carry the smoke out. Someone directed the heat from the firebox under the warm house of the bath via a series of cat ways to heat the floor from underneath.

The architects usually covered Iranian Bathhouse with a dome and an oculus.

The workers covered the oculus with translucent glass. Usually, at the end of a working day or generally in summer times, the owner of the bathhouse removed the glass for ventilation.

 

Fin bathhouse in Kashan

Fin Garden is located 6 km south of the city and is one of the most valuable historical monuments in Kashan, which dates back to the Safavid era. The Fin bathhouse is located in this garden.

This old bathhouse is famous for the assassination of Amir Kabir, the Prime Minister at the time of the Qajar king, Nasser al-Din Shah.

In Kashan Fin Garden, there are 2 bathhouses, each of which has several pools of water. Its small bathhouse is not very important in terms of architecture, but its large bathhouse with marble columns and the painted ceiling is very interesting.

Vakil bathhouse in Shiraz

Vakil Bathhouse is part of the Vakil complex, which the architects built by the order of Karim Khan the Zand in Shiraz. This bathhouse was one of the largest and most advanced baths of its time.

Iranians built the Vakil Bathhouse in the west of Vakil Mosque which is part of Iran’s national heritage.  Today, this bath has changed its use to the Shiraz Anthropological Museum. In this museum, you can get to know old jobs that no longer exist.

Iranian Bathhouse

Vakil Bathhouse in Shiraz

Ganjali Khan Bathhouse in Kerman

According to historical documents, Ganjali Khan the ruler of Kerman ordered to build Ganjali Khan complex during the Safavid era. When Ganjali Khan was the governor of Kerman, he decided to take measures to develop the city. He built a large square to create a public promenade in the center of Kerman. Ganjali Khan complex surrounded the square on four sides with private buildings including a school, a mosque, a bazaar, and a bathhouse. The construction of the buildings of this complex was done gradually. The architect built the bathhouse in the south of Ganjali Khan Complex.

Architects have given a spectacular view to this whole bathhouse by using beautiful tiles and stones. The roof of the cloakroom is relatively high and rests on strong pillars. The fountain in the center of the pool in the cloakroom gives a piece of pleasant music to the visitors.

The paintings on the lower part of the bathhouse entrance, which date back to the Qajar period, cover the decorations of the Safavid era, and they have been drawn near and next to each other without using different paintings styles. These images are the designs of Khosrow and Shirin, Bahram Goor, wild animals, and camel caravans that attract the attention of every visitor. Of course, over time, the top paintings at the entrance to the bathroom were severely damaged and then repaired.

Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse in Kashan

Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse is a 16th-century public bath. Iranian architects built this bath during the Safavid era in Iran and today is one of the main attractions of Kashan.

This public bathhouse, which was named after the Imamzadeh of Sultan Amir Ahmad, is a beauty to behold.

The experts registered it as a national historical monument in the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran.

The architect shaped the bathhouse like a large octagonal hall with an octagonal pool in the center. It is surrounded by eight columns that separate it from the platforms.

Iranian Bathhouse

Sultan Bathhouse in Kashan

During your trip to Iran, you will visit several traditional Iranian bathhouses and our professional tour guides will explain more about these structures. Contact us for more information about our tours.

Iranian Bathhouse

One of the attractions that you will see when traveling to Iran is the beautiful Iranian bathhouses. The Iranian architects built bathhouses with very clever architecture and mostly for public purposes. Only famous and rich people had a bathhouse in their house. In this article, we will explain the structure of traditional Iranian baths.

Function of Iranian Bathhouse

The Iranian bathhouse is a public building with multiple sections to keep the heat inside. For Iranians, cleanliness had been very important before Islam, and with the acceptance of Islam the importance of cleanliness pursued. In addition to being a washing building, the bathhouse was also a gathering place for local people.

The workers always separated men’s and women’s bathhouses. Sometimes the men’s and women’s baths were located in two different locations, in others, there was a bath from morning to evening for women to use and from evening to sunset, for men to use.

People also performed various rituals such as the Hanabandan, or the bathing of the bride before the wedding, and bathing the mothers who had just given birth in the bathhouse.

Another use of the bath was for mothers to find a suitable wife for their unmarried sons.

Structure of Iranian Bathhouse

In general, Iranian architects built all traditional baths a few meters underground. There were two reasons for doing this: first, to keep the heat inside, and second, to get closer to the bathhouse water source, which was an aqueduct or water well.

Ancients Persians didn’t approve of going suddenly from cold to warm temperatures and vice versa. Knowing this, Iranian architects in the past built a long, curved corridor at the entrance of the bathhouse to prevent people from getting afflicted by sudden temperature changes.

The cloakroom was a large, covered space with a pool in the middle and platforms all around it. This pool was part of the cloakroom decorations and people also used it for washing their feet.

In general, because people spent most of their time in this section, this part of the bathroom had the most beautiful decorations.

Servants served tea and hookah in this area. In some bathrooms, there was a barber who shaved men’s heads.

Iranian Bathhouse

Cloakroom of Hammam

Miandar is a narrow corridor that connects the cloakroom and the Khazineh or pool. This section kept the air in the cloakroom and the Khazineh separated and was a mediating space.

This is the hottest part of the bathhouse and has two large pools, one filled with hot water and the other with cold water.

Khazineh was a place where water was heated. There was a firebox under or next to the pool that heated the water. There was a chimney to carry the smoke out. Someone directed the heat from the firebox under the warm house of the bath via a series of cat ways to heat the floor from underneath.

The architects usually covered Iranian Bathhouse with a dome and an oculus.

The workers covered the oculus with translucent glass. Usually, at the end of a working day or generally in summer times, the owner of the bathhouse removed the glass for ventilation.

 

Fin bathhouse in Kashan

Fin Garden is located 6 km south of the city and is one of the most valuable historical monuments in Kashan, which dates back to the Safavid era. The Fin bathhouse is located in this garden.

This old bathhouse is famous for the assassination of Amir Kabir, the Prime Minister at the time of the Qajar king, Nasser al-Din Shah.

In Kashan Fin Garden, there are 2 bathhouses, each of which has several pools of water. Its small bathhouse is not very important in terms of architecture, but its large bathhouse with marble columns and the painted ceiling is very interesting.

Vakil bathhouse in Shiraz

Vakil Bathhouse is part of the Vakil complex, which the architects built by the order of Karim Khan the Zand in Shiraz. This bathhouse was one of the largest and most advanced baths of its time.

Iranians built the Vakil Bathhouse in the west of Vakil Mosque which is part of Iran’s national heritage.  Today, this bath has changed its use to the Shiraz Anthropological Museum. In this museum, you can get to know old jobs that no longer exist.

Iranian Bathhouse

Vakil Bathhouse in Shiraz

Ganjali Khan Bathhouse in Kerman

According to historical documents, Ganjali Khan the ruler of Kerman ordered to build Ganjali Khan complex during the Safavid era. When Ganjali Khan was the governor of Kerman, he decided to take measures to develop the city. He built a large square to create a public promenade in the center of Kerman. Ganjali Khan complex surrounded the square on four sides with private buildings including a school, a mosque, a bazaar, and a bathhouse. The construction of the buildings of this complex was done gradually. The architect built the bathhouse in the south of Ganjali Khan Complex.

Architects have given a spectacular view to this whole bathhouse by using beautiful tiles and stones. The roof of the cloakroom is relatively high and rests on strong pillars. The fountain in the center of the pool in the cloakroom gives a piece of pleasant music to the visitors.

The paintings on the lower part of the bathhouse entrance, which date back to the Qajar period, cover the decorations of the Safavid era, and they have been drawn near and next to each other without using different paintings styles. These images are the designs of Khosrow and Shirin, Bahram Goor, wild animals, and camel caravans that attract the attention of every visitor. Of course, over time, the top paintings at the entrance to the bathroom were severely damaged and then repaired.

Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse in Kashan

Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse is a 16th-century public bath. Iranian architects built this bath during the Safavid era in Iran and today is one of the main attractions of Kashan.

This public bathhouse, which was named after the Imamzadeh of Sultan Amir Ahmad, is a beauty to behold.

The experts registered it as a national historical monument in the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran.

The architect shaped the bathhouse like a large octagonal hall with an octagonal pool in the center. It is surrounded by eight columns that separate it from the platforms.

Iranian Bathhouse

Sultan Bathhouse in Kashan

During your trip to Iran, you will visit several traditional Iranian bathhouses and our professional tour guides will explain more about these structures. Contact us for more information about our tours.

You can share this with :

Comments

Related Tours

        Design by Ali Moghadas / 2020