The Oldest Sauna in Egypt

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"Those who feared shame, died,” is a popular Egyptian proverb, but do you know the story behind it? One day, a fire broke out in one of the public baths. The majority of women rushed naked to flee from the fire, whereas others who were shy preferred death over escaping naked.

Public baths have always stood out in the Islamic architecture. Hammam Bashtak is one of the most popular baths in the Mamluks era . It is located on Mohamed Ali Street, at in El Darb Ahmar.

"Entering the bath is not the same as leaving it" said the owner of the public baths.

Public baths were part of the Islamic and Egyptian culture. People regarded the public bath not just as a way of keeping clean, but as a therapeutic place where they could get scrubbing and massage sessions that left them relaxed and refreshed.

Hammam Bashtak is one of the oldest public baths in Egypt. It was built in 1342A.D/742A.H by Prince Seif Eldin Bashtak. People called it “Sauna” as they used it as a public place for bathing and pampering themselves with the finest essential oils in that era.

Let’s imagine that we travelled back in time, we’re now in the entrance of the bath, it is narrow but leads us to a big hall used for changing clothes and resting called Maslakh . The hall is surrounded by 3 other rooms. You leave your clothes in the Maslakh and decide which room you want to enjoy your time in.

Each room contains a pool with different water temperatures. When you’re in the bath you can’t help but notice its domed ceiling which has small openings for air and light.

Hammam Bashtak symbolizes the beauty of architecture in the Islamic era.

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Reem is passionate about traveling and exploring other countries and different cultures. She visited 10 countries and made a lot of foreign friends. Her favorite city is Amsterdam because it is like a museum for cultures. Reem loves learning new languages. She speaks Arabic, English, Spanish and French.

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