The Turkish Baths of Hungary: Archaeological Remains of the Ottoman Era

by Adrienn Papp

Overview

Hungary has always been famous for its thermal waters, and nowadays most of the tourists who arrive here try one or other of the nation's baths. It was thus in past centuries, too. Even during the Ottoman occupation era, there were several travel writers who praised the beneficial effects of the Hungarian baths. This volume will acquaint you with the bath culture of the period (1541-1699). Thermal baths were built that exploited the natural sources of heat in the country, amongst which are some valuable buildings that have been in continuous use for the 450 or so years since their construction. Thermal baths once stood all over the occupied territory that have since been destroyed and can only be explored through archaeological methods. The bath buildings provide excellent examples of the technical knowledge of the 16^th-17^th centuries: the creation of domed rooms, the drainage of water to appropriate places, and the development of underfloor heating systems in the thermal baths all represent serious achievements. Some of Budapest's bath buildings, which were built in the golden age of the Ottoman Empire and represent its classical architectural style, are comparable in beauty and scale to the Sultan's and the Grand Vizier's baths in Istanbul. This volume, however, not only presents the most outstanding bath buildings, but provides an overview of all the remains from the Ottoman era that have been archcologically explored.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9786155766060
Publisher:	Archaeolingua
Publication date:	02/21/2019
Product dimensions:	8.26(w) x 9.44(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Editors' Foreword 7

Introduction 9

I The Ottoman Empire 11

II Ottoman Hungary 13

III The Heyday of Ottoman Architecture 17

The mosque 19

The madrasa 22

The caravanserai (han) 22

The monastery (tekke) 23

The mausoleum (türbe) 23

The palace (saray) or residence 24

Complexes (külliye) 24

Other constructions 26

IV Ottoman Architecture in Occupied Hungary 27

V The General Characteristics of Turkish Baths 33

The layout of Ottoman baths 33

Steam baths - thermal baths 34

Public baths - private baths 36

Double baths 36

The types of baths according to their architectural layouts 37

Open baths - baths in buildings 38

The appearance of classical Ottoman era baths 39

VI The Use of Turkish Baths 41

VII Turkish Baths in Hungary 43

The social and economic role of Turkish baths 48

The characteristics of Turkish bath buildings 52

The entrance hall 54

The warm rooms 56

The toilet 56

The hot room 57

Private baths 60

Water treatment system 60

Ornaments 63

Lighting 65

The variety of floor plans 66

The place of baths in Hungary within Ottoman architecture 68

VIII The Research History of the Baths 73

IX Introduction to the Architectural Remains of the Turkish Bath Buildings of Hungary 77

Turkish baths operating in Hungary today 77

The Rudas Baths, Buda 77

The Császár Baths, Buda 84

The Rác Baths, Buda 91

The Király Baths, Buda 98

Bath ruins open to visitors 103

Eger: The Valide Sultan Baths 103

Székesfehérvár: double baths (Güzelje Rüstem Pasha Baths?) 106

Pécs: The Memi Pasha Baths 108

Bath ruins with limited access 111

Buda: Beylerbey's Palace private baths 111

Esztergom: thermal baths (Sokollu Mustafa Pasha Baths?) 114

Esztergom: thermal baths 116

Excavated but reburied bath ruins 118

Double baths (Rüstem Pasha Baths?), Pest 118

The Toygun Pasha Baths, Buda 121

The Ferhad Pasha Baths, Pécs 123

Steam baths, Babócsa 125

Commander's Palace private baths, Babócsa 126

Key to Abbreviations 127

Notes 128

Bibliography 133

Glossary 142

Index of Illustrations 145

Acknowledgements 155