Hamams- Public medieval buildings in Albania and abdes

Abstract

Public bathrooms as building works are known at least since the time of the Roman Empire, when identified by the name “Roman thermals,” objects that continued even after in the framework of the Byzantine Empire. Albania still maintained up-to-date ancient thermals of Dyrrachium, those of Butrint and the Roman ones of Ad’Qiuintum in Elbasan, station of the well-known Via Egnatia.
From functional point of view, Byzantine and Roman bathrooms had as common characteristic that the process of bathing was carried out in large collective bathtubs, which conditioned their planimetric -volumetric solution. With the arrival of Turks in the Balkans, public bathrooms along with mosques, inns etc. constituted the medieval city’s urban core.
After that time, the public bathrooms were recognized by the name “hammam” or generally were called “Turkish Baths”. This not only because they were built with the arrival of the Turks, but also because on the basis of their function, unlike in ancient thermals, was that the process carried out in individual bathtubs (kurna) in separate rooms.
However, the ancient and medieval bathrooms were similar as regards to the order of constituent premises and the same solution of technical elements.
In the Albanian lands there are still preserved hammams from the 15th century and on, such as: the Even-Hammams in Elbasan, Prizren, Pec, etc. and Odd-Hammams in Elbasan, Shkodra, Gjirokastra, Delvina, Vuçiternë, Durrës, etc.
Generally today these buildings are preserved under maintenance and restoration state with the status of the Monument of Culture.
People of the Balkans in cooperation among them have assimilated cultural mutual contributions, appreciating in this way each-others’ cultures.