Category Archives: Baths and Bathing

A Mosque-Hammam-Khan Complex at Apollonia

Posted on November 22, 2011 by

The Roman road system is fairly well known. In the Balkans the most critical road that the Romans constructed was the Via Egnatia, which was built in the second century BC and named after Gnaeus Egnatius. It served as the … Continue reading →

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Nation Building and Baths: A Comparison between the Finnish Sauna and Ottoman Hammam

Posted on November 17, 2011 by

Today I want to talk a bit about how the Finnish sauna and Ottoman hammam were used (and abused) in the course of nationalist programs in Finland in the 19th century and Turkey in the early twentieth century. By the … Continue reading →

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The Use of Ottoman Hammams in Greece Today

Posted on November 14, 2011 by

While visiting northern Greece my wife and I had the opportunity to visit several hammams, either on purpose or simply because we stumbled upon them. During the Ottoman period hammams were constructed in Greece’s major cities, just as they were … Continue reading →

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On the Finnish Sauna

Posted on October 17, 2011 by

The sauna is integral to modern Finnish culture. It’s found everywhere, in all types of settlements (cities, villages, small towns, farmsteads), and all types of dwellings (homes, apartments, offices), and in sports clubs, health spas, hotels, prisons, and army barracks. … Continue reading →

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