A tour of Tel Aviv Tribune Net inside one of the oldest public baths in the occupied city of Jerusalem, which was restored to life after its closure with the occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967.
Hamam Director Wendy Orabi talks about the history of the Hamam, which dates back more than two thousand years, and how it was rehabilitated while preserving its historical features.
The building belongs to the Monastery of Saliha, and two years ago, Al-Maqdisi Raed Al-Taweel began restoring it until he opened it and restarted it about two weeks ago.
The bathhouse, also known as “Bab al-Asbat Hammam,” is located at Bab al-Asbat at the beginning of Burj al-Luqluq Road, which branches north from Mujahideen Road, or “Setna Maryam” Road in Hatta Neighborhood, next to the Church of “Saint Anne,” meaning “Saint Hanna,” the mother of the Virgin. (formerly Salahiya School).
Historical accounts say that the bath was the first bath built in the city of Jerusalem, and it is likely that the foundations of its construction date back to the Roman periods, but the current building dates back to the 16th century, that is, the period of Ottoman rule, and it derives its water from one of the six fountains built by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in Jerusalem. In the year 943 AH/1536 AD, it is likely that the bathhouse and the sabil were built in the same period.