Bey Hamam

What I can see

The Bey Hamam (or Bey Hamami) is the largest Ottoman bath in Greece. It is a majestic double bath having two separate compartments for men and women. The men’s quarters of the bath are divided into three broadspaces: the cold, the lukewarm (2 rooms) and the hot with eight individual apartments with marble basins. The women’s section has the same layout, but with smaller dimensions and a far more frugal decoration and a separate entrance. The Arabic inscription above the entrance to the men’s department says it was built by Sultan Murad II in 1444. The remarkable thing about this hamam, as with many other Ottoman monuments, is that influences from the Byzantine architecture (e.g. domes) are apparent.

What I can't see

The building was constructed from building materials of 7 Byzantine Christian churches. The name “Bey” derives from the title of Sultan Murad II, which he had been honoured with and with which he was best known. There is a stunning space reserved especially for him in the hamam, that is decorated by stalactites at the ceiling. Apart from the cleansing of the body and soul, the hamams were gathering places for social interaction. This particular hamam was a place used by men for sexual intercourse amongst themselves. That is why those who worked here, were judged for their lose moral standards by society. In addition, believers of other religions could visit it. Even after the end of the Ottoman rule, it continued to operate as a bath, until 1968, under the name “Paradise Baths”. Until that time, the hamam was frequented by poor residents and refugees, who did not have bathrooms and running water in their houses. Today, Bey Hamam belongs to the Greek Archaeological Service and operates as a cultural space. It was suggested to turn it into a Muslim Art Museum with objects from Thessaloniki.

Info

• Address: Dikastirion Sq.

Bibliography