People all over the world like hammams and life next to water. The word itself brings with it: joy, lightness, and chatter. From so many centuries ago old civilizations in East and West have built baths. We still have popular songs about this:
“I will build a bath, [with] 40 columns and 40 windows,
For the Khan to sit in it with its hat put slant,…”
In old Persian cities, the hammam, the school and the mosque, came together in a package, with the neighborhood center the wealthy man would construct adjacent to his palace for his own people. Today, things have changed, and we have public pools and Jacuzzis, but the idea is the same. The question is: why shouldn’t we change the old, beautifully decorated baths into new Spas? And use the caldariums as Saunas? And have people washed and massaged like in the past? And then have a little café or restaurant that would serve the ones who want to stay longer? If this is possible, why should all our lovely bath be turned into dark, damp and mediocre ‘traditional’ restaurants or cultural centers?
In the article there is a full history of baths in Ancient Rome and Byzantium: the Caldarium, the tepidarium, and the frigidarium, and all what they did in these heavenly spaces, regularly, or before attending important ceremonies.
Then, there are my stories of childhood, of when our mother took me and my brother to hammam, and our skin was worn out by their fraying us to death. My grandmother sang her song to keep our attention away from the Dallak:
“I call Nessa to come to the bath, Nessa Nessa! Come to the bath…”
[And Nessa that would answer]: “the bath is dark, I won’t come/ its space is small, I won’t come/ the bath has mice, I won’t come/ the water is boiling hot! I won’t come!”
Finally there is a part about the baths in Tehran, of which some are miraculously saved, and should be renovated properly to be used as baths.
