| Hammam Yalbugha | |
|---|---|
| حمام يلبغا | |
| Yalbugha Alp pl.JPG The interior of the resting hall of the hammam |
|
| Alternative names | Hammam Yalbugha al-Nasiri |
| General information | |
| Type | Hammam |
| Architectural style | Mamluk architecture |
| Location | Aleppo, Syria |
| Elevation | 400 metres (1,300 ft) |
| Completed | 1491 |
| Renovated | 20 December 1985 |
| Renovation cost | ~1,041,000 USD |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 1 |
| Floor area | 1,500 square metres (16,000 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Client | Yalbugha al-Nasiri |
| Owner | Ministry of Tourism |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | Nabil Kassabji |
| Other designers | Samir Nahhas |
Hammam Yalbugha (Arabic: حمام يلبغا) is a Mamluk-era public bath ("hammam") in Aleppo, Syria. The hammam was built in 1491 by the Emir of Aleppo Yalbugha al-Naseri.[1] It is located next to the entrance of the Citadel of Aleppo, on the banks of the Quweiq river.[2]
Contents |
The present building was constructed by the Mamluk governor of Aleppo, Emir Yalbugha al-Nasiri, on the ruins of a previous hammam which had been destroyed during Timur's sacking of Aleppo in 1400. The hammam was renovated in the Ottoman-era, and it functioned as a public bath and a gathering place for locals and merchants from outside of the city until the end of the nineteenth century. At the beginning of the twentieth century the hammam was turned into a small felt factory.[2] In 1945 it was registered as a historic monument.[3] The hammam was bought by the Antiquities department of Aleppo in the 1960s and some minor restorations took place, but the utilities were completely out of order. Between 1983–1985 the hammam underwent a comprehensive renovation that aimed to restore it into a functioning public bath again.[2]
The Mamluk structure is based on a typical floor plan with three sections, the frigidarium, tepidarium and caldarium. Each of these three parts has a large central domed area surrounded by four iwans. The monumental street façade is symmetrically built, with an entrance portal in the middle. The walls display ablaq decoration with alternating courses of yellow and black stone. The domed and vaulted spaces are lit by saucer-shaped glass plugs.[2]
Interior and exterior finishes have been renovated using traditional methods and materials, and the original underground heat distribution canals were repaired and now serve to conceal the new heating ducts. A café, kitchen, laundry and other service rooms were added the existing facilities.[2]