CATALYST PLANET - Keeping It Clean: 5 Ancient Baths From Around The World

These bathing sites, some dating back centuries, tell stories about ancient cultures that can still be explored so many generations later.

A view of the stupa mound and great bath at Mohenjo Daro in Sindh, Pakistan. Saqib Qayyum. CC BY-SA 2.0.

Though Rome generally comes to mind when ancient baths are mentioned, communal bathing spaces existed in ancient civilizations all over the world. From the hammams of the middle east to the onsen in Japan, many of these historical sites are either still active or their ruins are open to the public to explore. Here are five of these incredible sites that belong to ancient societies from all over the world other than the Roman Empire, and how to best explore and enjoy the unique histories they have to offer.

1. Sanduny Banya - Moscow, Russia

The beautifully decorated interiors of the Sanduny Banya bathhouse in Moscow, Russia. Andreykor. CC BY-SA 2.0.

The Sanduny Banya opened its doors for the first time in 1808 during the reign of Russian Empress Catherine the Great. Its founder, celebrated actor Sila Sandunov, decided to build Moscow’s first stone bath house after a devastating fire destroyed almost all of the other public bath houses in the city about a century ago. After being sold to millionaire heiress Vera Firsanova and her husband Alexy Gonetskiy in the 1890s, the banya was transformed into an palace of bathing luxury: Gonetskiy traveled for years to study bathing traditions all over the world in order to bring the most modern and sophisticated technologies back to Moscow. With the help of famed Viennese architect Boris Freidenberg, Sanduny Banya became the epitome of public bathing, both for its glamorous interiors in a variety of architectural styles as well as for its unique aqueduct system. The banya is still open to the public today and has hosted a number of celebrities in recent times, including John Travolta and Naomi Campbell.

2. Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamam - Istanbul, Turkey

The Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamam is a traditional Ottoman bathhouse in Istanbul, Turkey. Gelgez. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

This double bathhouse was originally commissioned by the first wife of Ottoman Sultan Süleyman, Haseki Hürrem Sultan, in the mid-16th century to accompany the Ayasofya Mosque in Istanbul. The head architect of the Sultan’s court at the time, Mimar Sinan, designed the entire structure, from the marble fountains and massage platforms to the lantern lit pools and intricate domed ceilings. Built in the traditional Ottoman architectural style, the building is almost perfectly symmetrical with separate bathing, changing and massage rooms for men and women. The baths were abandoned towards the end of the nineteenth century during the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the emergence of a modernized Turkey, but was acquired by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and soon underwent two restoration projects in 1916 and later in 1957, in order to become an art gallery. In 2008, the hamam became the focus of another restoration effort to reopen it as a bathhouse for public use once again.

3. Arima Onsen - Kobe, Japan

One of the many *ryokan* stemming from Arima Onsen, one of the oldest hot springs in Japan. HIS International Tours. CC BY-NC 2.0.

Arima Onsen is one of the oldest hot spring resorts in Japan, dating back over a thousand years. While located within the limits of Kobe, a port city in Central Japan, the onsen is on the opposite side of Mount Rokko from the downtown area, and therefore, it remains quite secluded. While the town has been modernized over the years given its proximity to the city, it is still home to a number of traditional temples, shrines and wooden buildings that can all be explored by foot. The ancient hot spring produces two types of hot spring waters: the clearer Ginsen or “silver water” is said to be helpful for curing muscle and joint aches, due to its radium and carbonate deposits, while the browner Kinsen or “gold water” is colored with iron deposits and is good for the skin. Visitors can enjoy both types of water at either of the two public bathhouses in town, or at one of the many ryokan (small private inns), many of which provide stunning views of the nearby mountain.

4. Byzantine Bath - Thessaloniki, Greece

The historic interiors of the Byzantine Bath in Thessaloniki, Greece. Thessaloniki Blog. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The exact age of the Byzantine Baths at Thessaloniki are unknown, but the ancient structure is believed to have been built in the late 1200s during the Byzantine period. It operated as a bathhouse from its opening until the 1940s, and it is most well-known for being the only surviving bath of its kind and the only secular Byzantine building in the entire city. In fact, it is one of only a handful of well-preserved baths from its era in the whole of Greece. Predating the much more well known Roman bathhouses, it is clear to see the influence of the Byzantine bathing traditions on its later Roman counterparts: the entrance hall and dressing rooms double as a cold room (the Roman “frigidarium”), followed by a warmer area (the “tepidarium”) and finally finished with the hottest domed steam rooms (the “caldarium”). The building suffered a great deal of damage during a string of earthquakes in 1978 that affected the entire city, but was fortunately recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 and received a lot of funds for its restoration. The baths finally reopened in 2015 as a museum and cultural exhibition space.

5. Sultan Amir Ahmad Hamam - Kashan, Iran

The beautiful domed rooms of the Sultan Amir Ahmad Hamam in Kashan, Iran. Iran Tourism. CC BY-NC 2.0.

Also known as the Qasemi Bathhouse, the Sultan Amir Ahmad Hamam is a traditional Iranian bathhouse dating back to the 16th century during the rule of the Safavid Dynasty. The hamam was damaged during an earthquake in 1778, but was promptly renovated and restored to its former glory during the Qajar Dynasty. Named for a famous Sultan who is interred in a nearby mausoleum, the ancient bathhouse is made up of a large octagonal dressing hall (the Sarbineh) and a naturally heated bathing room (the Garmkhaneh). There is also a prayer room in the building where visitors could go to perform their five daily prayers. The hamam was built in the traditional Persian architectural style with intricate turquoise and gold mosaics adorning every pillar and wall, even stretching up and across the many domed ceilings. While the baths are no longer operational, the building is still open to the public as a museum and houses a traditional Iranian tea room as well. Because it is located within the vicinity of many other historical buildings, visitors can enjoy incredible views of Kashan from the roof of the hamam.