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Thackeray wrote with the intention of entertaining ''us'' by mocking what ''those people'' have ''over there''.{{efn|This derogatory approach, typical of the time, was later identified by Edward Said as [[Orientalism]].}} But even the scholarly works of Madden and Lane were educating ''us'' about ''their'' customs with the implication that they were ''strange'' customs. Neither scholar thought to suggest any practical lessons on personal hygiene which their readers might learn from these accounts. Two authors tried to rectify this omission.
Thackeray wrote with the intention of entertaining ''us'' by mocking what ''those people'' have ''over there''.{{efn|This derogatory approach, typical of the time, was later identified by Edward Said as [[Orientalism]].}} But even the scholarly works of Madden and Lane were educating ''us'' about ''their'' customs with the implication that they were ''strange'' customs. Neither scholar thought to suggest any practical lessons on personal hygiene which their readers might learn from these accounts. Two authors tried to rectify this omission.


In 1828, a year before Madden wrote his book, an anonymous, still unknown author self-published a limited edition of 250 copies of a quite different work, ''Strictures on the personal cleanliness of the English, with a description of the hammams of the Turks, &c.''.<ref></ref> It was distributed by the radical publisher of ''The Republican'', [[Richard Carlile]], who had realised that in ''Strictures'' the author was not denigrating the Turks; on the contrary, he was positioning them as a people to be emulated, by describing customs which his readers should adopt themselves. The author wrote that he had wanted, {{quote|to erect baths at the expense of government in different parts of London, after the manner of the Roman ''thermæ'', publicly endowed like hospitals for the use of the people,}} and that in 1818 he had unsuccessfully tried to interest George III in his project.<ref></ref>
In 1828, a year before Madden wrote his book, an anonymous—and still unknown—author self-published a quite different work, ''Strictures on the personal cleanliness of the English, with a description of the hammams of the Turks, &c.''<ref>''Strictures on the personal cleanliness of the English with a description of the hamams of the Turks and an attempt to shew their conformity with the baths of the antient Romans, etc.'' (London: printed for the author; Pisa: printed by N. Capurro, 1828)</ref> in a limited edition of 250 copies. It was distributed by the radical publisher of ''The Republican'', [[Richard Carlile]], who had realised that in ''Strictures'' the author was not denigrating the Turks; on the contrary, he was positioning them as a people to be emulated, by describing customs which his readers should adopt themselves. The author wrote that he had wanted, {{quote|to erect baths at the expense of government in different parts of London, after the manner of the Roman ''thermæ'', publicly endowed like hospitals for the use of the people,}} and that in 1818 he had unsuccessfully tried to interest George III in his project.


The second author was [[David Urquhart]], a Scottish diplomat and sometime MP for Stafford, whose travel book, ''The Pillars of Hercules,'' was an account of his travels in Morocco and Spain in 1848.<ref></ref> Two chapters described the hammams of Morocco and Turkey in considerable detail, and Urquhart became an advocate of what were known in the English-speaking world as "Turkish baths" because those most often described in travel books were located in Turkey and the Ottoman Empire.
The second author was [[David Urquhart]], a Scottish diplomat and sometime MP for Stafford, whose travel book, ''The Pillars of Hercules,'' was an account of his travels in Morocco and Spain in 1848.<ref>Urquhart, David. (1850). ''The Pillars of Hercules, or, a narrative of travels in Spain & Morocco in 1848''. (London: Bentley)</ref> Two chapters described the hammams of Morocco and Turkey in considerable detail, and Urquhart became an advocate of what were then known in the English-speaking world as "Turkish baths" because those most often described in travel books were located in Turkey and the Ottoman Empire.


The book had no direct impact on the construction of a hammam until it was read in 1856 by an Irish physician and [[Hydrotherapy|hydropathist]], Dr [[Richard Barter (physician)|Richard Barter]]. Barter, who was already using the vapour bath cabinet therapeutically at St Ann(e)'s (his hydropathic establishment near Cork), saw immediately that the bath described by Urquhart was a major improvement on this. He contacted Urquhart and offered him men, money, and materials if he would visit St&nbsp;Ann's, and build one for use by his patients.
The book had no direct impact on the construction of a hammam until it was read in 1856 by Dr [[Richard Barter (physician)|Richard Barter]], an Irish physician and [[Hydrotherapy|hydropathist]]. Barter, to the consternation of orthodox hydropathists, was already using the vapour bath cabinet therapeutically at St&nbsp;Ann's, his hydropathic establishment near Cork. He immediately realised that the bath described by Urquhart was a major improvement on the vapour cabinets. He contacted Urquhart and offered him men, money, and materials, "besides a number of patients upon whom experiments
might be made", if he would visit St&nbsp;Ann's, and build one for use by his patients.<ref>'Testimonial to R Barter, Esq’. ''Cork Constitution'' (7 June 1856)</ref>


This beehive-shaped bath was unsuccessful because although Urquhart was experienced in using hammams he had no experience of building them. It had not been possible to heat the air to the required high temperature. This was the only documented 19th century attempt to build a hammam in Western Europe and the attempt was abandoned.
This first beehive-shaped bath was unsuccessful. Although Urquhart was experienced in using hammams he had no experience of building them, and it had not been possible to heat the air to the required high temperature. This was the only documented 19th century attempt to build a hammam in Western Europe and the attempt was abandoned.


Instead, Dr Barter sent his architect (also named Richard Barter but unrelated to him) to Rome to study how the ancient ''thermae'' were built. On his return he designed and supervised the building of what has become known as the first Victorian Turkish bath—a hot-air bath using hot dry air instead of the moist air of the hammam. Barter knew from his experience with vapour baths that heat was an effective therapeutic agent, especially for complaints such as gout and rheumatism. He also knew that the human body can withstand higher temperatures when exposed to dry air rather than wet vapourous air. He called his bath 'The Improved Turkish bath'.
Instead, Dr Barter sent his architect (also named [[Richard Barter (sculptor)|Richard Barter]] but unrelated to him) to Rome to study how the ancient ''thermae'' were built. On his return he designed and supervised the building of what has become known as the first Victorian Turkish bath—a hot-air bath using hot dry air instead of the moist air of the hammam. Barter knew from his experience with vapour baths that heat was an effective therapeutic agent, especially for complaints such as gout and rheumatism. He also knew that the human body can withstand higher temperatures when exposed to dry air rather than wet vapourous air. He called his bath "The Improved Turkish bath".<ref>Barter, Richard. (1858) ''The Turkish bath: being a lecture delivered in the Mechanic’s Institute, Bradford, on Tuesday evening, July 8th, 1858''. (Bradford: Printed by J M Jowett)</ref>


The following year (1857) Urquhart helped build the first such bath in Manchester. As a Turkophile, he argued strongly for calling the new bath a Turkish bath, though others unsuccessfully argued that it should be called an Anglo-Roman bath or, as in Germany and elsewhere, the Irish-Roman bath.
Back in England the following year (1857), Urquhart helped build the first such bath in Manchester.<ref>Potter, William ‘The Turkish bath’ ''Sheffield Free Press'' (18 July 1857) p.3</ref> As a Turkophile, he argued strongly for calling the new bath a Turkish bath, though others unsuccessfully maintained that it should be called an Anglo-Roman bath,<ref>Drake, Francis. (1862). ''The Anglo-Roman or ‘Turkish bath’: its history, proper construction, present status and various uses''. (London: Ward & Lock)</ref> or as in Germany and elsewhere, the Irish-Roman bath.<ref>'The Irish-Roman Bath' ''Irish-Farmers' Gazette'' (1 September 1866) p.322</ref>


But all future 19th century hot-air baths in the British Isles were either based on the Roman model or, latterly, on the Russian steam bath and, later still on the Finnish sauna. After Barter's initial attempt, the hammam is not recorded as appearing again in Western Europe until after World War I.
But all future 19th century hot-air baths in the British Isles were either based on the Irish-Roman model or later, and then only occasionally towards the end of the century, on the Russian steam bath. After Barter's initial attempt, the hammam is not recorded as appearing again in Western Europe until after World War I.


=== France, post World War I ===
=== France, post World War I ===

Revision as of 12:18, 10 May 2024

Hammams in the Western world

Aside from Al-Andalus (the mainly Spanish and Portuguese parts of Europe which were Muslim ruled until 1492) modern Western Europe has no legacy of historic hammams. Nevertheless, derivatively named Hummums existed in London's Covent Garden in the first half of the 18th century.[1] For some part of that time, sweating and bathing facilities were located there, and at others, coffee houses, hotels, and houses of ill repute (bagnios) merged with, or replaced them, until a major fire destroyed them in 1768. But there have been no historic hammam structures in London which could have been considered part of the Islamic hammam tradition.

The British Isles in the 19th century

Madden in Syrian Costume
Edward William Lane

English readers in the 19th century were not ignorant about the existence of hammams and could read contemporary accounts of what they were and how travellers were fascinated by them. Authors such as Richard Robert Madden (in 1829),[2] Edward William Lane (in 1836),[3] and, in lighter vein, William Makepeace Thackeray (in 1846)[4] had described them in their books.

Thackeray wrote with the intention of entertaining us by mocking what those people have over there.[a] But even the scholarly works of Madden and Lane were educating us about their customs with the implication that they were strange customs. Neither scholar thought to suggest any practical lessons on personal hygiene which their readers might learn from these accounts. Two authors tried to rectify this omission.

In 1828, a year before Madden wrote his book, an anonymous—and still unknown—author self-published a quite different work, Strictures on the personal cleanliness of the English, with a description of the hammams of the Turks, &c.[5] in a limited edition of 250 copies. It was distributed by the radical publisher of The Republican, Richard Carlile, who had realised that in Strictures the author was not denigrating the Turks; on the contrary, he was positioning them as a people to be emulated, by describing customs which his readers should adopt themselves. The author wrote that he had wanted,

to erect baths at the expense of government in different parts of London, after the manner of the Roman thermæ, publicly endowed like hospitals for the use of the people,

and that in 1818 he had unsuccessfully tried to interest George III in his project.

The second author was David Urquhart, a Scottish diplomat and sometime MP for Stafford, whose travel book, The Pillars of Hercules, was an account of his travels in Morocco and Spain in 1848.[6] Two chapters described the hammams of Morocco and Turkey in considerable detail, and Urquhart became an advocate of what were then known in the English-speaking world as "Turkish baths" because those most often described in travel books were located in Turkey and the Ottoman Empire.

The book had no direct impact on the construction of a hammam until it was read in 1856 by Dr Richard Barter, an Irish physician and hydropathist. Barter, to the consternation of orthodox hydropathists, was already using the vapour bath cabinet therapeutically at St Ann's, his hydropathic establishment near Cork. He immediately realised that the bath described by Urquhart was a major improvement on the vapour cabinets. He contacted Urquhart and offered him men, money, and materials, "besides a number of patients upon whom experiments might be made", if he would visit St Ann's, and build one for use by his patients.[7]

This first beehive-shaped bath was unsuccessful. Although Urquhart was experienced in using hammams he had no experience of building them, and it had not been possible to heat the air to the required high temperature. This was the only documented 19th century attempt to build a hammam in Western Europe and the attempt was abandoned.

Instead, Dr Barter sent his architect (also named Richard Barter but unrelated to him) to Rome to study how the ancient thermae were built. On his return he designed and supervised the building of what has become known as the first Victorian Turkish bath—a hot-air bath using hot dry air instead of the moist air of the hammam. Barter knew from his experience with vapour baths that heat was an effective therapeutic agent, especially for complaints such as gout and rheumatism. He also knew that the human body can withstand higher temperatures when exposed to dry air rather than wet vapourous air. He called his bath "The Improved Turkish bath".[8]

Back in England the following year (1857), Urquhart helped build the first such bath in Manchester.[9] As a Turkophile, he argued strongly for calling the new bath a Turkish bath, though others unsuccessfully maintained that it should be called an Anglo-Roman bath,[10] or as in Germany and elsewhere, the Irish-Roman bath.[11]

But all future 19th century hot-air baths in the British Isles were either based on the Irish-Roman model or later, and then only occasionally towards the end of the century, on the Russian steam bath. After Barter's initial attempt, the hammam is not recorded as appearing again in Western Europe until after World War I.

France, post World War I

Europe, post World War II

The second half of the 20th century saw a new, war-weary, air-travelling holiday generation return from Turkey and other countries where they had discovered the hammam, not as part of a specifically Islamic culture, but as what had become, as a result of diminishing local use, a significant tourist leisure attraction.

It was not long before baths based on the internal appearance of the hammam, with its central room and göbek tasi (belly-stone), started appearing in European hotels, health spas, and even as standalone hammam establishments. But the history of the modern European hammam, as a wellbeing and beauty treatment feature, is yet to be recorded or studied.


TEMPORARY

Notes

  1. ^ This derogatory approach, typical of the time, was later identified by Edward Said as Orientalism.

References

  1. ^ 'The Piazza: the social decline of the Piazza' In: Survey of London. Vol 36: Covent Garden (London, 1970) pp.82-84. British History Online. Retrieved 3 May 2024
  2. ^ Madden, Richard Robert (1829). "Travels in Turkey, Egypt, Nubia, and Palestine, in 1824, 1825, 1826, and 1827]. (London: Colburn)
  3. ^ Lane, Edward William. (1836). "An account of the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians: written in Egypt during the years 1833, -34, and -35, partly from notes made during a former visit to that country in the years 1825, -26, -27, and -28". (London: Knight)
  4. ^ Thackeray, William Makepeace. (1846). "Notes of a journey from Cornhill to grand Cairo, by way of Lisbon, Athens, Constantinople, and Jerusalem: performed in the steamers of the Peninsular and oriental company." (London: Chapman and Hall)
  5. ^ Strictures on the personal cleanliness of the English with a description of the hamams of the Turks and an attempt to shew their conformity with the baths of the antient Romans, etc. (London: printed for the author; Pisa: printed by N. Capurro, 1828)
  6. ^ Urquhart, David. (1850). The Pillars of Hercules, or, a narrative of travels in Spain & Morocco in 1848. (London: Bentley)
  7. ^ 'Testimonial to R Barter, Esq’. Cork Constitution (7 June 1856)
  8. ^ Barter, Richard. (1858) The Turkish bath: being a lecture delivered in the Mechanic’s Institute, Bradford, on Tuesday evening, July 8th, 1858. (Bradford: Printed by J M Jowett)
  9. ^ Potter, William ‘The Turkish bath’ Sheffield Free Press (18 July 1857) p.3
  10. ^ Drake, Francis. (1862). The Anglo-Roman or ‘Turkish bath’: its history, proper construction, present status and various uses. (London: Ward & Lock)
  11. ^ 'The Irish-Roman Bath' Irish-Farmers' Gazette (1 September 1866) p.322

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