Damascus -
In the past, the people of Damascus used to repeat the proverb that "entering the bathroom is not the same as leaving it" in front of people who had just left what was known as the "bathroom of the market", which is widely spread in the ancient neighborhoods of the Syrian capital.
This refers to the change in the mood and psychological state of those people after bathing and recuperating, and enjoying the atmosphere of the neighborhood bath, which allows its visitors - in addition to the basic services for bathing such as bagging and massage - to enjoy their time with other visitors in sessions filled with manifestations of pleasure, such as singing, playing, talking and jokes.
Historically, going to the Damascene bath was an essential aspect of the social life of the Damascenes, who used to visit it every week to bathe, relax, and hold hospitality sessions.
Visiting the "bath market" was a major ritual of family social occasions for Damascenes, such as marriage, receiving newborns, and holding family parties.
The construction of the popular baths in Damascus dates back to the era of the Umayyad Caliphate, and the ancient baths, such as the “Ward” bath and the “Bakri” bath, are among the most important features of Damascene and Islamic architecture.
Because it is an essential element of the architectural and cultural identity of the city, and its spread with its Damascene designs in a large number of Arab and Islamic cities around the world.
Despite the disappearance of the ritual of visiting the “bath market” from the lives of most Syrians, and its confinement to tourists and foreign visitors during recent decades, Damascenes have returned to practicing it this winter, against the background of the increase in the hours of power cuts (21-22 hours per day) and the scarcity of fuel and gas. This made it difficult for Syrians to shower in their homes, depending on time and other factors.
The entrance to the ancient Hammam al-Bakri in the Syrian capital, Damascus (Al-Jazeera)
More than just a bath
The old Damascene house (the Arab house) did not contain a bathroom in the traditional sense, but rather a pool of water in the middle of the court, and the residents could wash with its water or perform ablution from it before praying.
Therefore, the Damascene used to resort to the baths spread in their neighborhoods, from one to two times a week, to get a "bagsling" session (the process of rubbing the body with a bag made of coarse cloth) that guarantees them cleanliness, as well as relaxation.
From here, the Damascene baths assume their importance, not only as places for bathing, but as an economic and social activity that, over time, became part of the city's identity and the culture of its inhabitants.
In the past, the men of Damascus were famous for their various activities inside the bathroom.
Their visit to the place was divided into several stages during which they took a shower, then drank different types of hot drink and smoked hookahs, and some of them might later play some games such as "cards" (cards) or backgammon.
On the other hand, Damascene women were known to love meeting their neighbors in the market bath, where they could talk collectively, exchange news, and have fun.
They were also famous for bringing fruits to the bathroom, especially oranges, as they give it moisture and refreshment after hot baths.
The Syrian historian Mounir Kayal states in his book "The Baths of Damascus" (1986) that the baths of the capital previously reflected the social and cultural status of its visitors.
As the "Sultan Bath" was named after the Ottoman Sultan Selim I, who used to frequent it and his entourage, while the "Queen's Bath" in the Sarouja area of the Old City received Sarouja market customers and merchants.
As for the "head" bath, it was frequented by Kurdish and Iranian pilgrims, while Christians and Jews frequented the "Bakri bath" near their neighborhoods.
Unique architectural design
The Damascene baths are similar in their unique architectural design.
Most of them consist of 3 main sections: the Barani, the Wastani, and the Inner.
The outside section often mediates a pool of water surmounted by a roofed dome, and around it are distributed terraces with couches over which visitors prepare to take a shower;
They put on towels and prepare their shower gear to enter the inner section.
As for the central section, it is usually equipped for visitors to relax after bathing in the sun that pours from the colored glass domes that decorate the ceiling of the place.
While the inner section usually consists of two iwans (a rectangular hall surrounded by 3 walls) facing opposite sides of the fire house (the furnace that heats water), and in the middle of each iwan is one or more large ovens with hot water.
From each iwan there are rooms and booths, each of which contains a basin and equipment for cleaning and washing.
The Rose Bath in Old Damascus is one of the most ancient baths in the city.
Its construction dates back to the early eighth century AD, according to the sign hanging at the entrance to the bath.
It is characterized by its original Damascene architectural design, its black and white floor interspersed with pink stones and the remains of ancient marble, and its lake (pool of water) with a beautiful pink cup with 3 copper layers in the middle of the outer section.
Among the ancient Damascene baths, too, are the "Bakri Bath", whose construction dates back to the 16th century, the "Qasr Al-Azm" bath, which was built in the 18th century by order of the Ottoman governor of Damascus, and the "Al-Aqiqi bath", which is rumored to have been built in the tenth century, and " Hammam al-Rifa’i, which is one of the baths of the 16th century, and the bath of al-Muqaddam, whose font is attributed to Sheikh Muhyi al-Din ibn Arabi, as women continued to make vows and light candles until recently.
The entrance to the King's Bath in the Syrian capital, Damascus (Al-Jazeera)
From a social ritual to a vital necessity
The importance of the market bath in Damascene social life was not limited to the cleaning services or the space for comfort and recreation that it provided, but rather visiting it over time became an essential ritual accompanying major family events and celebrations, such as weddings and the reception of newborns.
The "bride's bath" is one of the most prominent Damascene wedding rituals.
In it, relatives, neighbors, and the groom's family of women are invited, by the mother of the bride, to the bathroom to celebrate her upcoming daughter;
The women take a bath in an atmosphere of celebration punctuated by singing, playing and dancing, and it concludes with a lunch table around which the women gather in the same bathroom.
There is a "bath bath" that comes two weeks after the wedding, during which the groom's mother responds to the bride's mother's invitation to them to the bath on the wedding day.
Finally, there is the "Arbaeen bath" (welcoming of the newborn), which takes place on the morning of the fortieth day of the arrival of the new baby.
The ritual of the market bath remained present in Damascene society until the beginning of the 20th century, before visiting the baths was limited to a narrow segment of the city’s residents and tourists, after the function of the market bath became an end with the spread of small bathrooms in homes and homes.
However, the deteriorating service situation in Damascus recently prompted Syrians to revive the ritual of visiting the market bath again, this time not to celebrate, relax, or enjoy the sun in the central section, but with the aim of washing with hot water only.
Today, the market baths in Damascus are witnessing a great turnout since the beginning of the winter season, after the period of electricity cuts in most of the capital’s neighborhoods reached 22 hours per day in light of the worsening fuel scarcity crisis, and the delay in distributing domestic gas cylinders to families to 90 or even 100 days, what It makes the majority of Syrians unable to heat water in their homes for showering.
Couches in the outer section of the Rose Bath in Damascus (Al-Jazeera)
Even the bathrooms have changed conditions
Against the background of the unprecedented turnout witnessed by the public baths in recent times, some Damascus baths have raised the entry fees for a person to 20 and 25 thousand pounds (3 and 4 dollars).
The owners of the baths attribute this large increase in wages to the fuel crisis in the country, the difficulty of securing the materials needed for heating water and lighting the baths, and the high price of them on the black market, so that a number of popular and ancient baths operating in Damascus closed their doors since last December. Coinciding with the exacerbation of the fuel scarcity crisis in the country, pending an improvement in the reality of oil derivatives in the future.