What I can see

This is a relatively large Ottoman bath, covering an area of approximately 750 square metres, and is one of the four Turkish baths of Thessaloniki. Nowadays, it is known to Thessalonians as “Louloudadika” (=flower shops) because in the last 60 years, flower shops have clustered around it. It is located in the commercial centre of the city, in a lively area full of small shops, taverns and cafes, close to the covered Modiano market. The masonry of the monument is of particular interest as it has been meticulously created. It features jewellery and mimics the Byzantine cloisonne building system (rectangular processed stones framed by thin red bricks). The bath is covered by two large domes and several smaller ones with many lighting holes. In recent years, the Ministry of Culture carried out the restoration and elevation work of the monument and the surroundings. Nowadays, it is used for exhibitions and events.

What I can't see

In the Ottoman period, many of the Empire’s cities were adorned with baths, as cleanliness is very important in Islam. Water and bathing procedures symbolized atonement from sins and purification of the soul. This monument is found with many names in Turkish documents: Pazar-Ikebirhammami (large market’s bath), Kadinlarhammami (women’s bath), Yahudihammami (Jewish bath). The last name is the most famous one, since the area around the bath was inhabited by Jews. Its names were “various” depending on its use and significance for the area. According to Evliya Celebi, a 17^th century Turkish traveller, the bath was founded by a Halil Aga. The interior is typical of baths, (i.e. tripartite arrangement of spaces into cold, warm, hot) and it was also “twin”-featured (i.e. for men and women, with the men’s being larger and taller). Lastly, under the floors, there was hot-air circulation which heated the space as well as the large water tank, which supplied water into the bath. The rich stucco decorations inside are of great interest.

Info

• Address: Vassileos Irakliou & Fragini St.

Bibliography