Medieval Baths of Bukhara in Bukhara
Bukhara Medieval Baths
The traditions of the eastern hammam baths originated in antiquity, in the 7th century, when the first bath houses appeared. The steam bath tradition came to Central Asia from the Arabs, and they, in turn, took over it from the Romans. The spread of hammams in Asia went in parallel with Islam. In the khan’s palaces, the baths known as "Hammam Hon" were necessarily built.
Development and Significance
There were special courtiers serving these premises. But the baths were also meant to be accessible to the public, as for Muslims, "purity is half the faith," as the Prophet Muhammad himself said. Therefore, starting from the 10th century, bathhouses became an integral part of urban planning. Baths were usually part of bazaar complexes or housed in public buildings located in the city center.
Baths were divided into city-wide and neighborhood baths, as well as into male and female facilities. City-wide baths were built near bazaars, in the most crowded places. According to the records of the ancient historian Narshakhi dating back to the 10th century, several city-wide bathing establishments already existed in Bukhara. Visiting baths became a favorite form of relaxation for citizens. It is known that in the 19th century, 16 hamams operated in the city.
Historic Bathhouses of Bukhara
The two oldest and most famous baths in Bukhara, dating back to the 16th-17th centuries, are the Bozori Kord male bathhouse and the Hammami Kunjak female bathhouse, both still functioning today. Bozori Kord is located next to the Taki-Telpak-Furushon shopping dome, and Hammami Kunjak is very close to the Kalyan Minaret. These, like other similar rooms, are heated using boilers with boiling water located under the floor. Steam from the boiler is fed into the steam room through a special opening.
Bukhara baths represented significant technical progress in their time and even today continue to operate successfully, just as they did five centuries ago. In addition to relaxation and bathing, they provide various types of massage services, including therapeutic and relaxing. A visit to a Bukhara hammam will leave a lasting impression and be beneficial for both body and soul.