hammam

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hammam. Islamic bath complex, usually containing changing-rooms, latrines, and a steam-room heated by the hypocaust method. A good example was the Khirbat al-Mafjar, Jordan (late C8). One of the finest public baths in Istanbul is the Hasseki Hurrem (1556), attributed to Sinan, with its four domes aligned on one single axis. So-called ‘Turkish Baths’, complete with lavish decorations in the Islamic style, tiled, marbled, and mosaiced, became popular throughout Europe and America in the second half of C19.

Bibliography

B&B (1994);
Hillenbrand (1994)

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