Hammam Al Malik Al Zahir

Hammam Al Malik Al Zahir

Al Malik Al Zahir Bath

Overview:

• This bathroom dates back to 375 AH / 985 AD and is considered one of the oldest surviving "Damascus" baths, which is 1026 years old to this day.

Historic overview:

• Its original name is "Hammam Al-Aqiqi" in reference to its builder "Ahmed bin Al-Hussein Al-Aqiqi" who died in 376 AH. The house inhabited by "Al-Aqiqi" is next to the bathroom until King "Sa`id Al-Zahir Baybars Al-Mamluki" in 676 AH / 1277 AD purchased this bathroom and the house from Al-Aqiqi and turned the house into a school that he called Al-Madrasa Al-Zahiriyah before it became the “Zahiriyah Library”.

• Its mission was not limited to bathing and washing only, but it dealt with other functions, as they were considered as places where the people of the neighborhood gather to exchange conversations about life matters that concern them.

• The hammam preserved its rituals. It used to receive the groom and restore ancient customs during the wedding, such as henna and the well-known Damascus foods that are served in the hammam to celebrate the wedding. The Umayyah hammam was also renovated to receive women only, so that the 'al Malik al-Zahir' bath remains for men.

 Architectural description:

• The "Al-Malik Al-Zahir" bath, like the rest of the old Damascene baths, is not very different in its construction style and interior decoration from the Damascene house.

• The bathroom was supplied with water through one of the branches of the Barada River, but now it depends on a special well for that, but the old bathing methods are still adopted, namely the bowl with the introduction of some modern techniques. In addition to soap and loofah, which each bathroom has a special type of, and clogs that protect the visitor from slipping and dirt if they are on the bathroom floor.

Resources:

u-news.net website

lovedamascus website

esyria.sy website

The website of the Syrian Ministry of Culture

sfari website

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