Liverpool Hammams Research Unit

Bab Al-Bahr: background and details

In its present state, Hammam Bab-el Bahr is being used as hammam. Athough its architectural spaces were kept quite the same, its heating system, hot water and cold water system were totally changed and seemed not well adopted.
It was repaired with cement plasters that has affected the functioning of hammam in a negative way (disturbing heat insulation, causing dampness problems since being water vapour impermeable, leading to decay of original fabric by salt crystallization and biological growth). Timber elements were oil painted. That would increase the dampness in timber by letting water in from the cracks but not letting enough chance to dry out. Incompatible repairs, failures on the roof structure have led to the dampness and other materials problems and development of structural problems.

Major findings regarding the Architectural Typology

This is one of the few hammams of Cairo that is still functioning and as such needs to be valued, safeguarded and improved. A number of immediate actions could take place in the form of advice to the owner of the hammam with the aim of:
- Improving the use of the bathing spaces available by providing more washing basins in the iwans
- Improving the water drainage of the bathing spaces
- Improving the interior design of the Maslakh space and reception area
- Facilitating the use of the plunge pool and improving the floor surfaces to avoid accidents
- Improving the shower heads and avoiding burning accidents from hot water.
- Improving the water heating and distribution system
A full proposal for a better usage and maintenance of the internal spaces should be prepared as well as water heating, distribution and drainage.

Division of space and function

Four major elements can be found in all the hammams of Cairo with some variation in the size and the arrangement of specific spaces:
− The Maslakh: (meaning undressing in Arabic) where the following functions take place:
undressing/dressing, resting, socialising, eating and drinking. This room is accessed from the street through a narrow and bent corridor
− The Bayt- al- awwal (meaning first room in Arabic), this is a small cold room used for resting
The Bayth-al-harara (meaning the hot room in Arabic). This is a main cross shaped room which comprises two main features; the central space or Sahn which is surrounded by three to four iwans and two types of smaller rooms : the Maghtas which appears during the Mamluke period and consists of an elevated small room with an inserted hot water plunge pool. The number of these rooms vary from one hammam to another:
− The Khilwa which is a small private room for private washing.
− The Mustawqad or furnace where the heating system is located. This space is a key
space to the whole hammam but is not linked with the bathing spaces. Nospecific studies have been carried out on this heating system although it represents one of the key specific features of the hammams in Cairo.
Furthermore, the furnace has traditionally other functions which can be considered as lessons

of sustainability: these are the recycling of garbage and by-products as fuel. It is also used to cook broad beans, or “ful”, in special containers.

Liverpool Hammams Research Group
						Liverpool School of Architecture