kashan sultan amir ahmad bathhouse

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The Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse, also known as the Ghasemi Bathhouse, is a traditional Iranian public bathhouse constructed in the 16th century during the Safavid era, damaged in 1778 as a result of an earthquake and renovated during the Qajar era. It underwent further renovations in 1996.

Historical Bath Entrance

At the time of construction of the Bathhouse, its intended use was not just to serve cleanliness purposes but rather was a place for rest, gatherings, discussions and even prayers.

The Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse has an area of approximately 1,000 square meters. It consists of two main parts, the dressing hall (Sarbineh) and the hot bathing hall (Garmkhaneh).

The interior of the Bathhouse is decorated with turquoise and gold tilework, plasterwork, brickwork as well as artistic paintings.

Sarbineh (the dressing hall) is past the main entrance

Sarbineh is in the shape of a large octagonal hall, which has an octagonal pool in the middle, surrounded by 8 pillars separating its outer sitting area

The area connecting Sarbineh and Garmkhaneh was intentionally designed with multiple turns to minimize the heat and humidity exchange between the two areas.

The roof of the bathhouse is made of multiple domes that contain convex glasses to provide sufficient lighting to the Bathhouse while concealing it from the outside.

Roofs

In the past the Bathhouse has been used as a traditional teahouse although today it serves as a museum.

In 1956 the Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse was registered as a national heritage site by Iran’s Cultural Heritage Department

The Bathhouse is named after Imamzadeh Sultan Amir Ahmad, whose mausoleum is nearby.

Archeological discoveries in the Sialk Hillocks which lie 4 km west of Kashan reveal that this region was one of the primary centers of civilization in pre-historic ages. Hence Kashan dates back to the Elamite period of Iran.

The artifacts uncovered at Sialk reside in the Louvre in Paris in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Iran's National Museum

By some accounts although not all Kashan was the origin of the three wise men who followed the star that guided them to Bethlehem to witness the nativity of Jesus, as recounted in the Bible. Whatever the historical validity of this story, the attribution of Kashan as their original home testifies to the city's prestige at the time the story was set down.

Although there are many sites in Kashan of potential interest to tourists, the city remains largely undeveloped in this sector, with fewer than a thousand foreign tourists per year

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Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound: Javad Maroufi - Yadvare