Public bath houses or hamam were common until the advent of indoor plumbing in houses. Some are still operational, but mostly for men, as far as I can tell.
This hamam, built by a private donor who also built the nearby madraseh, bazaar, and caravanserai (no longer in existence), is now a museum, with gorgeous tile work and imaginative water spigots. Several museums we visited make good use of human-sized figures to depict the activity going on. The figures here are particularly interesting.
There is another interesting intersection with the Houses of Strength or zurkhaneh. Depicted here on a wall are four athletes, two working out with their Indian clubs and the two in the middle wrestling. I wonder if it was their custom, after working out, to come to the bath house for a soak and a scrub. It would make sense to me.
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As societies have changed, public baths have been replaced as private bathing facilities became more commonly available. Public baths have also become incorporated into the social system as meeting places.
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