HAMMAMS – SPOTS FOR PLEASURE AND SOCIALIZING

Author: Amra Madžarević, Museum of the City of Sarajevo • Illustration: Equipment for the hammam

Hammams, public baths, have been constituent part of culture of our population since the 16th century. They emerged as part of the need, in line with Islamic regulations for thorough washing for certain religious rituals, then washing of women during a given period, preparation for wedding and, of course, maintaining personal hygiene. Most hammams in Bosnia and Herzegovina were built in the 16th century. They were designed as monumental buildings, built according to given principles and with several rooms.

Although they were built primarily for maintaining hygiene, hammams offered much more. In this period, houses already had in-room bathrooms (hamamdžiks), which used water brought from street fountains, and which allowed normal baths. Besides, going to hammam was practices at least once a week. There were many reasons for such a custom. Actually, the hammam was not used only for taking a bath; people stayed there longer, since they spent time in the room with steam, being massaged, taking a bath and resting. And the rest turned into nice and relaxed socializing. All together it was truly enjoyable.

Hammam had several rooms: shadirvan, halvat, kapaluk, ćulhan and hazna. Hazna was a storage for water, and ćulhan was a room where water and other rooms were heated. Shadirvan was a room for reception and waiting, with recesses where visitors undressed to a loincloth (paštemalj). In the middle of this room was a shadirvan, after which the room was named. Halvat served for massage and bathing. In this room there were estradas, structures of lying during massage and bath. Beside estradas there were kurnas, vessels with water which was poured over the body from the hamam tas. There were usually two estradas in a room although visitors could require to be alone. They could take a bath by themselves or ask for the service of talak (masseur in the hammam). Massage was performed by means of the lif. If a visitor wanted to use steam, a hazna with warm water would be opened in the room, and the room would fill with steam.

Upon completing the bath and massage, visitors would go to the kapaluk, a room for cooling down and rest. In the kapaluk there was a mangala (brazier). It was a room for socializing, drinking coffee or tea and chatting.

Hammams were typically made up of two parts, male and female. If the hammam was small and consisted only of one part, there were separate days for women and for men respectively.

Hammams were used both by Muslims and by Christians and Jews. Jewish hygienic regulations about approaching some religious rituals are very similar to Muslims'. Jews are familiar with tevilla (a custom of immersing the head in water three times after bathing). To this purpose, special pools were built in hammams.

Hammams were particularly important for women. Both regulations and hygiene require for the woman to take a thorough bath after the period, and 40 days after childbirth. Besides, it was customary for bride and bridegroom to go to the hammam a day before the wedding. Bathing of lohusas (puerperae) and brides were special events. Women and girls would dress up and prepare cakes, tea and coffee. After bathing, they would stay in the kapaluk treating themselves, singing and dancing.

Such an event has been described by Hamdija Kreševljaković: “To this purpose, the hamamdžinica (manager of the hammam) ordered cleaning of the hot halvat and the whole halvat would be incensed; the kapaluk was specially arranged, a mattress was put in it for the lohusa and the mangala was lit. The lohusa always came to the accompanied by several relatives and friends of hers. After bathing she would rest on the mattress, and coffee would be brought in on the mangala. They would eat and drink what had been brought (savory dishes and desserts). During the rest, incense was burning in the censer in the kapaluk.

The mattress was spread and the censer lit particularly for the poorest lohusa, if only hamamdžinica knew that the visitor is a lohusa. Rich lohusas gave underwear and scarves to all staff in the hammam, even the manager and the stoker.”

He described the visit of the bride to hammam before wedding as follows: “The bride to be came to the hammam, and bathing was followed by a true party. On that day, the shadirvani was turned into a dancing hall. From morning to an hour before sunset the girls would dance round dances, played the tambourine and strike drums. They also drank coffee and ate halvah. All the time, the bride-to-be sat on a chair, covered with the silk cloth. Mujaga Hamadžić says that as many as about fifty girls would gather in the hammam on such occasions.”

Unlike the bride, the bridegroom would rent the hammam for 24 hours, and baths, coffee and hookah were free for all visitors.

Popularity of hammams is proven by the fact that they are often mentioned in folk poems. One of them goes as follows:

Glavu veže Alibegovica,

Alibeg joj drži ogledalo:

“L'jepa ti si, vjerna ljubo moja!ˮ

“Ne budali beže Alibeže,

Ja sam jutros išla u matere,

Od matere u vruće hamame,

U hamamu Nezirbegovica,

I sa njome Nezir-bega zlato,

I sa njima trides' djevojaka,

Ufati se kolo naokolo,

Kolo vodi Nezir-bega zlato,

Visinom je kolo nadvisila,

A ljepotom kolo začinila,

Nema para do Saraj'va grada,

Ni ljepote do Stambol kapije...

(Alibeg's wife is putting on a scarf,

Alibeg holds the mirror for her:

„You are beautiful, my faithful wife!”

„Don't be silly, Alibeg,

I went to my mother this morning,

And then to hot hammams.

In the hammams, I saw Nezirbeg's wife

And Nezirbeg's girl with her,

And thirty girls with them,

They began dancing a round dance

Led by Nezirbeg's girl,

She was taller than all others,

And spiced the dance with her beauty

Nobody's equal to her in Sarajevo

And nobody more beautiful to entrance to Istanbul...)

 

Objects which were used in the hammam were particularly beautiful and decorated. It supports the fact about enjoying in beauty on every occasion. The hamam tas, a vessel which was used to pour water during bathing, was made of copper, and was nicely adorned and tinned. Censers were also used, where fragrant plants were burned, and it was also made very nicely. They were made by masters - coppersmiths. Hammam nanulas (wooden open-toe footwear) had higher heels than the usual ones, because of the hot floor. Unlike the usual nanulas worn in courtyards, the hammam ones were decorated, often even with pearls. Towels were typically brought from home, although the hammam had some of its own. Women would attach a particular attention to these towels, because of the presence of other women. They were richly embroidered all over.

Hammams mostly ceased to work in the early 20th century. The basic reasons were deterioration of buildings themselves and their expensive maintenance, as well as connecting households to city water supply. Still, one of Sarajevo hammams was renewed, and continued the tradition in a way. The fact that this pleasure and enjoyment are true is shown by the popularity of hammams, as well as of saunas, throughout the world. These procedures are both enjoyable and are good for health, due to expanding pores, peeling and massage. They are practiced today as well, under modernr names and in modern conditions.

Equipment for the hammam

 

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