The Urban Bathhouse in the Islamic Far East
Evidence from Kazakhstan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/jia.19289Keywords:
Central Asia, Kazakhstan, bathhouses, hammam, architectureAbstract
While the bathhouses of Rome and Byzantium have received a great deal of academic attention in the West, the baths of the Islamic world, particularly those in the far Islamic East in Central Asia, have been largely overlooked and much scholarly research in this region has only been published in Russian. This paper is an attempt to readdress this regional bias by presenting an overview of medieval bathhouses in Kazakhstan, based largely on the results of a recent upsurge in commercial archaeological excavations in the country. Ten bathhouses are described, and the significant features of Kazakh baths are highlighted.
References
Akishev, K., K. M. Baipakov and L. B. Erzakovich. 1987 Otrar v XIII-XV vekakh, Izdatel’stvo Nauka Kazakhstan, Almaty.
Al-Jaziri, 'Abd al-Rahman 2009 Islamic Jurisprudence According To The Four Sunni Schools: Al-fiqh 'ala al-madhahib al-arba'ah, translation by Roberts N. Fons Vitae, Louisville. https://archive.org/details/IslamicJurisprudenceAccordingToTheFour-SunniSchoolsAlFiqhalaAlMadhahibAlArbaah/page/n1/mode/2up
Aru, K. A. 1941 “Turk Hamamlari Etüdü.” Unpublished PhD thesis, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul Matbaacilik.
Asanova, G. 1982 “A Russian-English translation of an archaeological report on the Sarrafon Baths in Bukhara and on underfloor heating channels.” Unpublished MA dissertation, University of Westminster.
Asanova, G. and M. R. Dow. 2001 “The Sarrafan Bath in Bukhara.” Iran 39: 187–201.
Baipakov, K. M., C. Baumer and I. Kamaldinov. 2019 “Excavations of the site of Usharal – the citadel of city of Ilanbalyk in 2018, Society for the Exploration of Eurasia.” http://www.exploration-eurasia.com
Baipakov, K. M., and D. A. Voyakin. 2002 “Un Hammam dans le Kayalyk Medieval (Kazakhstan). Fondation Max van Berchem.” https://maxvanberchem.org
Medieval Town Kayalyk. Almaty: A. K. H. Margulan Institute of Archaeology.
Baipakov, K. M., D. A. Voyakin, M. K. Seitkaliev and R. N. Buranbaev. 2013 “Nekotorye itogi issledovaniâ banihamam na gorodise Taraz v 2012 g.” [Some results of explorations of hamam-bath of the ancient settlement of Taraz in 2012]. Izvestiâ Natsional’noi Akadamii Nauk Respubliki Kazakhstan 3: 187–199.
Baipakov, K. M., E. A. Smagulov and G. A. Akhatov. 2005 The Medieval Jaiyk Site. Almaty: A. K. H. Margulan Institute of Archaeology.
Baipakov, K. M., G. A. Kapekova, D. A. Voyakin and A. N. Maryashev. 2011 Treasure of Ancient and Medieval Taraz and Zhambyl Region. Taraz: A. K. H. Margulan Institute of Archaeology.
Bartold, V. V. and H.A.R Gibb. 1928 Turkestan Down to the Mongol Invasion. London: Luzac & Co.
Baumer, C. 2016 The History of Central Asia 3: The Age of Islam and the Mongols. London: IB Tauris & Co Ltd.
Bean, R., B. W. Olesen, W. Kwang and K. W. Kim. 2010 “Part 1. History of radiant heating and cooling systems.” American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Journal 52(1): 40–47.
Bernshtam, A.N. 1940 “Banya drevnego Taraza i ee datirovka.” [The ancient bath at Taraz and its dating]. Trudy Otdela Vostoka [Proceedings of the Oriental Department] 2: 177–183.
Bustanov, A. K. 2013 “Settling the past: Soviet oriental projects in Leningrad and Alma-Ata.” Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Amsterdam.
Charpentier, G. 2014 “Les bains d’al-Bara (2008–2010).” In 25 siècles de bain collectif en Orient, volume 2, edited by M.-Fr. Boussac, S. Denoix, T. Fournet and B. Redon, 465–494. Cairo: Institut français d’archaéologie orientale.
Chonglin, L., and N. Ruji 2009 “The Discovery of Nestorian Inscriptions from Almaliq, Xinjiang, China.” In Hidden Treasures and Intercultural Encounters, edited by D.W. Winkler and L. Tang. London: Transaction Publishers.
Christodoulou, S. 2014 “Ancient Baths in Cyprus.” In 25 siècles de bain collectif en Orient, vol. 1, edited by M.-Fr. Boussac, S. Denoix, T. Fournet and B. Redon 83–106. Cairo: Institut français d’archaéologie orientale.
Dawkes, G. and G. Jorayev. 2015 “A case study of an early Islamic city in Transoxiana: Excavations at the medieval citadel in Taraz, Kazakhstan.” Archaeological Research in Asia 4: 17–24.
Denoix, S. 2014 “Un discours sur le hammam au XVIe s. Pratique médicale et expression d’une norme savante.” In 25 siècles de bain collectif en Orient, vol. 4, edited by M.-Fr. Boussac, S. Denoix, T. Fournet and B. Redon, 1025–1046. Cairo: Institut français d’archaéologie orientale.
Deom, J. M. 2009 “Islamization and early Sufism in Central Eurasia during the Pre-Mongolian period.” In Kazakhstan: Religions and Society in the History of Central Asia Part 2, edited by G. L. Bonora, N. Fianciola and P. Sartori, 99–112. Torino: U. Allemandi.
Dow, M. R. 1996 The Islamic Baths of Palestine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fethi, I. 1977 “Urban Conservation in Iraq.” Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Sheffield.
Floor, W. and W. Kleiss. 1988 “Bathhouses,” Encyclopædia Iranica, 3rd edition, 8: 863–869. http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/bathhouses
Gaube, H. and E. Wirth. 1978 Der Bazar von Isfahan. Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag.
Glaudinov, R. and M. Glaudinova. 2013 “Kazakhstan.” The Artistic Culture of Central Asia and Azerbijan in the 9th–15th Centuries Volume IV Architecture, edited by K. Baypakov, Sh. Pidaev and A. Khakimov, 12–54. Samarkand: IICAS.
Grotzfeld, H. 1970 Das Bad im arabisch-islamischen Mittelalter. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.
Gruner, O. C. 1973 A Treatise on the Canon of Medicine of Avicenna. New York: AMS.
Ibn Sina', al-Husayn ibn 'Abd allah Abu 'Ali 2005 al-qanun fi al-tibb, 1. Beirut: Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-'Arabi.
Koetschet, P. 2014 “Quelques aspects du bain dans la médecine arabe médiévale.” In 25 siècles de bain collectif en Orient, volume 4, edited by M.-Fr. Boussac, S. Denoix, T. Fournet and B. Redon, 1011–1024. Cairo: Institut français d’archaéologie orientale.
Kyzlazov, L. R. 2010 The Urban Civilization of Northern and Innermost Asia. Bucuresti: Editura Academiei Romane and Editura Istros a Muzeului Brailei.
Maghniyyah, M. J. 2018 The Five Schools of Islamic Law: Al-Hanafi, al-Hanbali, al-Ja'fari, al-Maliki, al-Shafi'i (Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project). Qum: Ansariyan Publications. https://www.al-islam.org/printpdf/book/export/html/42705
Meier, A. 2014 “Bathhouses in the countryside of Ottoman Damascus.” In 25 siècles de bain collectif en Orient, volume 3, edited by M.-Fr. Boussac, S. Denoix, T. Fournet and B. Redon, 745–762. Cairo: Institut français d’archaéologie orientale.
Melchert, C. 2014 “Public baths in Islamic Law.” In 25 siècles de bain collectif en Orient, volume 4, edited by M.-Fr. Boussac, S. Denoix, T. Fournet and B. Redon, 1001–1010. Cairo: Institut français d’archaéologie orientale.
Moldakynov, T. 2010 The Monuments of Ancient Taraz. Taraz: The National Historical Cultural Reserve Museum of Taraz.
Orehounig, K. and A. Mahdavi. 2011 “Energy performance of traditional bath buildings.” Energy and Buildings 43(9): 2442–2448.
Rifaioglu, M. N. 2018 “Memlük Dönemi Hamami Yapilari: Antakya Beyseri Hamami Özelinde Yapisal-Mekânsal-Idlevsel Çözümleme [Memluk Period Hammams: Structural-Spatial-Functional Analysis on Antakya Beyseri Hammam].” MEGARON 13(4): 545–558.
Samashev, Z., O. Kuznetsova and V. Plahov 2008 Ceramics of Saraichik Hillfort. Almaty: Zur Advertizing.
Saremi, H. and R. Gorji. 2015 “Bathroom physical features of Iran in Qajar Era.” International Journal of Engineering Science Invention 4(8): 51–60. www.ijesi.org/papers/Vol(4)8/H048051060.pdf
Sdykov, M. N. ND Guide-Book West-Kazakhstan Oblast. West-Kazakhstan Oblast Center of History and Archeology. https://test.bko.gov.kz/images/ENG/invisterments/1/putevoditel_-_zko_-_perevod_na_angl_ot_lingvo_uralsk12018-10-04-04-45.pdf
Seviç, F. 2014 “Istanbul, Kartal’da Bizans Dönemi Hamam Yapisi.” Higher degree dissertation, Hacettepe Unversity, Ankara.
Sibley, M. 2015 “Hybrid transitions: Combining biomass and solar energy for water heating in public bathhouses.” Energy Procedia 83: 525–532.
Sibley, M. and I. Jackson. 2012 “The architecture of Islamic baths of North Africa and the Middle East: An analysis of their internal spatial configurations.” Architectural Research Quarterly 16: 155–170.
Soleymani, S. 2015 “The Hammam: The restoration and revitalization of Tehran’s Qibla Hammam (The Khanum Hammam).” Unpublished MA thesis, Carleton University.
Suleimenov, A. 2016 “Banya of Khankurgan.” Qazaqstan Tarihy. https://e-history.kz/en/publications/view/2416
Tasmagambetov, I. and Z. Samashev. 2001 Saraichik. Almaty: Berel. https://e-history.kz/en/books/library/view/132
The Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences 2011 “The excavation report of Yanjialiang site in Baotou.” Chinese Archaeology. http://www.kaogu.cn/en/Publication/New_books/2013/1025/30073.html
Vanhaverbeke, H., O. Basagac, K. Paul and A. M. Waelkens. 2005 “A Selçuk Hamam in Aglasun.” Turcica 37: 309–336.
Voronina, V. L. 1951 “Ob Uzbekskikh banyakh [On Uzbek Baths].” Sovetskaya Etnografiya 1: 114–137.
“Bani-khammam u narodov Sovetskogo Soyuza stran zarubezhnogo Vostoka.” Arkhitekturnoye Nasledstvo 31: 133–167.
Yavuz, A. T. 2011 “The baths of Anatolian Seljuk caravanserais.” In Bathing Culture of Anatolian Civilizations: Architecture, History and Imagination, edited by N. Ergin, 77–141. Leuven: Peeters.
Yegül, F. K. 1992 Baths and Bathing in Classical Antiquity. New York: Architectural History Foundation; Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Bathing in the Roman World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
“Baths, art and architecture.” Encyclopaedia of Islam 3rd edition, edited by K. Fleet, G. Krämer, D. Matringe, J. Nawas and E. Rowson. Brill Online. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_23706
Yegül, F. K. and T. Couch 2003 “Building a Roman bath for the cameras.” Journal of Roman Archaeology 16: 153–177.
