#TurkishBaths

History Cafe ☕ Ottoman Heritageottomanhistory.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy
2025-02-24

✏️ Vestiary and Resting Room of the Çinili Hammam (Turkish Bath), 1844 #Hamam #TurkishBath #TurkishBaths

2024-09-28

1934 – Maskora Turkish Baths, Nos. 97-99 Grafton Street, Dublin
Architect: George L. O'Connor

Nos. 97-99 were demolished in the early 1930s to be replaced with the Maskora Turkish Baths by George L. O'Connor - a facade with Art Deco features and graceful tall round-headed windows. Beautifully inserted int
archiseek.com/1934-maskora-tur
#ArchitectureOfDublinCity #1934 #GeorgeLOConnor18701947 #GraftonStreetDublin #TurkishBaths

Arlington Baths Clubarlingtonbaths@mastodon.scot
2023-07-20

We're the oldest members-run swimming club in Europe. Our beloved #Victorian building in the Woodlands area of #Glasgow opened in 1871. We love #swimming, #architecture.#history,#TurkishBaths, #art, #music and #community. Find us at: arlingtonbaths.co.uk

North West BylinesNWBylines
2023-07-10

The historically important Turkish Baths in Carlisle originally opened in 1909 and Carlisle City Council voted to close the doors in October 2022.

northwestbylines.co.uk/lifesty

2023-02-05

#OnThisDay—5 Feb 1894—#Southampton Corporation opened #TurkishBaths to complete their Western Shore Road Baths. Money was borrowed for "vapour baths" as it was thought—wrongly—that local authorities were precluded from building Turkish baths (which had not existed when the Baths & Wash-Houses Acts were passed). The higher women's charge was soon lowered.
Costing £1,100, the baths comprised a dressing room, 3 hot rooms, shampooing room, plunge & cooling-room. Closed mid-1930s.
#histodons #bathing

Aerial view of the newly walled-in open swimming pool and the bathhouse extending into the sea.View of the Baths building from the road. Sign reading TURKISH BATHS over side of building housing them with boilerhouse chimney behind. Towers on either side of main entrance making the whole building, as a later writer wrote, look 'like a second-rate workhouse'.James (later Sir James) Lemon, Mayor at the time of the planning of the baths whose idea it was to raise money for them by calling them vapour baths instead of Turkish baths.Opening advertisement for the baths from the Hampshire Independent (3 Feb 1894) showing opening hours and charges. Women's day was on Mondays at a charge of 2/- instead of the 1/6 or 1/- charged for men. The cheaper price was for Wednesday and Saturday evenings, the baths being closed, of course, on Sundays.
2023-02-05

#OnThisDay—5 Feb 1895—City of London Alderman Treloar opened #TurkishBaths built for Nevill's on a site by Bishopsgate Churchyard which had housed baths of various kinds since c.1817—Much illustrated article at victorianturkishbath.org/_6DIR

Designed by architect G Harold Elphick, who also designed some of the special tiles made by Craven Dunnill. Built in "Oriental" style with the underground baths entered through an upper kiosk.

Baths closed 1954 but Listed building remains.

#histodons #bathing

Drawing of the upper kiosk with star and crescent topped cupola and tiled and terracotta mouldings, in the street before post-war redevelopment. Drawing by Geoffrey Fletcher from his 1964 book 'London Overlooked'.Page from contemporary Craven Dunnill's catalogue showing two views of the cooling-room with separate images of three sets of their tiles and five pieces of terracotta moulding.Image of the exotic and extremely complicated tilework over a mantle.Photo of exterior of the building taken in 2016 from roughly the same position as Fletcher made his drawing, but showing tall modern concrete and glass buildings in the background. Striped brickwork in lower half, topped with blue bricks and "oriental" style windows and an upper highly decorated layer of terracotta mouldings, the cupola, and the star and crescent. The modern buildings are best ignored.
2023-02-02

#OnThisDay—2 Feb 1878—the formal opening of the Victoria Baths Club at Butterbiggins Road took place on completion of its #TurkishBaths—reported as being 'the only specimen we have in #Glasgow of the Moorish style of architecture'. The design competition was won by local architect T L Watson. A unique study compared the stoves at the Victoria & Arlington Baths Clubs.(books.google.co.uk/books?id=2f). Closed 'for the duration of the war' in 1942, the club never re-opened.
#histodons #bathing #heating

Drawing from The British Architect of the exterior of the Victoria Bath Club. Two storeys. Spired corner turrets. Central arched entrance. Railings around. Lamps on gateposts.Plan of the Turkish baths showing: 
G Ashes, H Coals, K Boiler house, 
I hottest room (sudatorium), L warm room (tepidarium), S Cooling-room (frigidarium), M shampooing room, 
N  wahsing room, O showers, R private hot and cold water baths.Photo of one of the spired corner turrets, probably taken after the baths were closed.
2023-02-02

#OnThisDay—2 Feb 1861—Charles Bartholomew, a farmhand's son & Secretary of David Urquhart's #Bristol Foreign Affairs Committee, opened his College Green #TurkishBaths, replacing a small experimental one at Mill La, Bedminster. When he died in 1889, he owned a chain of 8 Turkish baths spread from Manchester to Eastbourne. Bristol's was open till at least mid-1940s. Except for the façade, the building—originally the Great Western Hotel built for #Brunel—was demolished in 1982.
#histodons #bathing

Postcard showing photo of exterior with multi-columned ground floor colonnade. Group of small children front left.Coloured image of the cooling-room with couch-fitted cubicles left and right, and with ornate fountain in the centre. Tiled floor with carpets. Lit by windows at side and above.A rather twee postcard featuring seven scenes of naked cupids at the various stages of a Turkish bath including Comfort in the cooling-room, Enjoyment being shampooed, Vigour of the douche, Freedom of the plunge pool, and Contentment with coffee relaxing afterwards. All hosted by Hygeia standing at the door of her Temple of Health.Advert announcing the opening of the baths. Temperature of the hot rooms ranges from 120 to 250 deg.F.
2023-01-31

@nigelpstanley Sambourne was a regular user of #Turkishbaths, which he often visited, as did several other members of the Punch Table. #histodons

2023-01-27

#OnThisDay—27 Jan 1879—the original Kent Street Baths in #Birmingham were augmented by #TurkishBaths. These were built at a cost of £1,255.10.0 by converting the underused washhouses. The plunge pool, with 14 cubicles, adjoining hot rooms at 145 & 195 deg.F, a shampooing room with marble slab & various showers, was below the cooling-room with its 8 rest cubicles.
In 1930 the baths were demolished & new ones on the same site, also incl Turkish baths, opened 3 years later.
#histodons #bathing

Sketch of the exterior of Birmingham's first Public Baths at Kent Street, opened on 12 May 1851. 
'The design of the building was in the sixteenth century style of architecture and of red brick with bath stone dressings, moulded string courses and coping; the window sills, mullions and transoms, were also of stone with cast-iron window frames and casements.'
2023-01-26
2023-01-25

#OnThisDay—25 Jan 1897—the #Doncaster Oriental & #TurkishBaths Co Ltd opened baths at their Oriental Buildings, Station Rd (the building with the cupola on the right in first image).
The building also contained 6 shops & 17 offices.
The cooling room has divans for 9, hot rooms at 145, 170, & 240 degr.F, shampooing room, plunge & showers.
The Glyn Hotel, in the advert, became the Central Hotel. In 1930, a Miss Roberts ran the baths as Robert's Turkish Baths until they closed c.1932.
#histodons

Street scene at a fork in the road. Centre and left is a four storey building, most of which is occupied by the Central Hotel. On the right is the three storey building, Oriental Buildings. Most of the exterior is of little note, except for the strangepointed cupola, supported by four decorated columns resting on a low tower housing a clock. Cyclist chatting in centre of the road, pedestrians, and the back of a policemen. No vehicles in sight.The text of an advertisement from The Gazette Doncaster Directory for 1898 (ie, probably published in 1897) reads:
                        The
             New Turkish Baths                           
        Station Road, Doncaster                    
                      -o-o-o-                                
fitted with the Latest and most approved Appliances for Heating and Ventilating                    
      	                                                                 
Open Daily from 10 am to 8 pm (Sundays excepted)         
===============================
           TIMES AND CHARGES:
               FOR LADIES ONLY
MONDAYS--9.30 to 12 noon   2s.
WEDNESDAYS--All day, from 10 to 8. 2s. until 4 pm. 1s. after 4
FRIDAYS--9.30 to 12 noon.  2s.
         FOR GENTLEMEN ONLY
MONDAYS--12.30 to 8 pm.  2s.
TUESDAYS--All day, from 10 to 8.  2s.
THURSDAYS--All day, from 10 to 8.  2s. until 4 pm. 1s. after 4
FRIDAYS--12.30 to 8 pm.  2s.
SATURDAYS--All day, from 10 to 8.  2s. until 4 pm. 1s. after 4
===========================
Manager and Shampooer.--Mr H RICHARDSON (late Head Shampooer
Turkish Baths, Cookridge Street, Leeds)
Ladies Hours.--Mrs H RICHARDSON (late Ladies' Shampooer, Leeds and Bradford Turkish Bath)
Tickets are obtained from the Manager at the Entrance to the
Baths, opposite to the Glyn Hotel.                            
                F J CLARKE, Secretary
2023-01-20

#OnThisDay—20 January 1973—the Burns Leisure Centre was opened in the High Street, Stanley (Co. Durham) by the local council. It included one of the last Victorian-style #TurkishBaths to be built. However, they survived only 24 years, closing on 4 September 1997. Little is known about them (or, alas, remembered by me!). Anyone else remember using them? #histodons

The shampooing area shows two massage slabs, the bottom of one being draped with council towel. At the head of each slab is a wash basin and a shower head for rinsing down. Basins mounted on a pale blue tiled wall up to shoulder height, probably open above or possibly with two large windows. Beige floor tiles. Open at rear, leading to the baths. My photo from a visit in1995.
2023-01-17

#OnThisDay—17 January 1911—the Chester Turkish Baths Co Ltd opened #TurkishBaths for Gentlemen in Bridge Street, & announced that those for Ladies would open early in March. In 1889 the local Council had intended that their new public baths should include Turkish baths, but this didn't happen. Local architect Wm T Lockwood designed them. They comprised a 10 cubicle cooling-room, 3 hot rms, shampooing rm, showers, & a Russian vapour bath. Closing date unknown. No image found—Any known? #histodons

Display ad from the Cheshire Observer (14 Jan 1911) names the company, announces the opening dates, and offers 'Full particulars on application'.
'The Directors offer an inspection of the Baths on SATURDAY, the 14th instant, and MONDAY, the 16th instant, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.'
2023-01-08

@aleebrahim #histodons That little pebble, just on the right of the 19th century layer, is my specialism, Victorian #TurkishBaths, and I'm probably exaggerating its size.

2023-01-01

#OnThisDay—1 January 1891—Mr Francis James (of the Albany Road #TurkishBaths in Wolverhampton) decided to start his New Year by opening another one in Priory Street, #Coventry. He did so by converting an unfinished Weslyan chapel into a well equipped facility with 1st & 2nd Class cooling-rooms, 3 hot rooms ranging from 130 to 240 degrees. Additionally, there were Russian and electric baths. The baths were demolished c.1920. More information in an article at victorianturkishbath.org/_6DIR
#histodons

Three-quarters way down the west side of Priory Street (shown in the image), and opposite the main buildings of the Triumph Cycle Co Ltd (later to become the Triumph Motor Company), can be seen the pointed roof of the intended Weslyan chapel. Two young girls play in front of the houses and, slightly beyond is a motor car (possibly an early Triumph). The picture was taken shortly before the block was demolished (some time around 1920) to make room for an extension to the Triumph works. The houses to the right are two storeys high and those on the left are three storeys high. Plain brickwork with one or two steps up to the front doors. A shop with a blind is at the far right of the block and a wooden shed to the left.Text advertisement from the Coventry Herald on 1 January 1892, one year after the baths opened. It indicates that the baths were open daily from 9 till 8.30, and that they were open for ladies on Tuesday mornings from 9 till 1.00. Prices, 2/-, 1/6, or 1/-.
2022-12-29

#OnThisDay—29 December 1874—The #Otago Turkish Bath Co Ltd opened the 1st #TurkishBaths to be built in #NewZealand. Originally managed by one of the Burton family which ran the long-established Turkish baths in London's Euston Rd. There were 2 hot rooms, a cooling-room, a shampooing room, a steam bath, sitz baths and a large (36 ft x 24 ft) cold water swimming pool. In 1890 the baths were sold to William Asher, and he leased them to Herman Döring who ran them till they closed in 1908. #histodons

Photo from the 'Cyclopaedia of New Zealand' shows the single storey building, flag atop, in the early 1900s shortly before it closed. Plain brickwork frontage with three windows, a tall door with light over, and two normal size doors. Three men stand in front. One, probably Herman Döring, wears a white coat. A large central sign, over the centre of the building, reads 'The Turkish Baths and Oriental Sanitarium'. Smaller signs on either side read 'Swimming Baths' and 'Hammam'. The roof is mainly flat though there is a slightly higher and smaller central pitched roof behind, and behind that can be seen the top of the boilerhouse chimney.
2022-12-29

My avatar is taken from an advertisement in 'White's Directory of Hampshire, 1878' for the Southampton #TurkishBaths in Regent Street. They were opened by John Rose in 1870 and were later bought by the Southampton Turkish Baths Co Ltd, who re-sold them in 1880 to a new company with the same name. They closed in 1886. #histodons

The advertisement comprises a central oblong image with text round each side, and a circled #TurkishBath 'benefit' at each corner.
The image shows a bearded, turbaned, and betowelled bather reclining on a couch smoking a narghile placed on a side table with a cup of coffee.
The text at the bottom reads 'Southampton Turkish Baths / Opposite the Royal Hotel High Street.
The texts on the other three sides are in two parts separated by a star and crescent. At the top: Hot baths / Cold baths. At the left: Lamp baths / vapour baths. On the right: Douche baths / shower baths.
The four circled benefits are: Comfort, Cleanliness, Health, and Happiness.
2022-12-29

The 3 pix on my profile header (l to r): The #TurkishBaths opened, 1858, by the Leeds Foreign Affairs Committee, shown at unknown later date (Leeds Library and Information Services Leodis ID 20031017_79638309);
Poster advertising the Leeds Oriental Baths in 1858,
as actually built (Leeds Library and Information Services);
William Potter's 2nd Turkish baths, Clifford Street, Manchester, unearthed 2013 (courtesy Oxford Archaeology). Extra image: Potter's baths as advertised in 1859. #histodons

Typical 19th century local shop in a converted terrace house. Frontage, including windows, covered with Turkish bath signs. Three steps up to porch leading to entrance. Two young lads in front watching photograher. Four adults in front of another shop in the backgraound. Entrance shown as 6d.Within an oval frame surrounded by the words 'Oriental & General Bath Company of Leeds, Limited' is an image of an 'Oriental' style building showing the Cookridge Street, Leeds, baths as actually built (ie, cut back from the architect's original, more widely known, design. It has a central dome, four cupolas and three pointed arch entrances—a large central one and smaller men's and women's on either side. The brickwork is polychromatically banded. Underneath are detailed opening hours and charges for the Gentlemen's Baths, the Large Swimming Bath, and the Ladies' Baths. The swimming bath is 'Kept at a temperature of 74°' [Fahrenheit].Excavated site of the baths showing (just in the very foreground) steps from the entrance, down to part of the ground floor. Clearly to be seen is part of the alternately coloured square tiled floor of the main cooling-room. This matches what can be seen in the 1859 illustration of the baths (not in the profile header, but added, following).Engraved cut of the cooling-room of Potter's Turkish baths in Clifford Street, Manchester, taken from a flyer inserted into Potter's booklet 'The Roman or Turkish Bath' published in 1859. The floor is covered in alternately coloured square tiles with a fountain in the centre. A central dome is shown supported, left and right, by two walls, partially decorated with diamond patterned brickwork. Long benches are fixed to the walls and three bathers with loin cloths and turbans are shown sitting or lying down. An attendant is carrying a tray of refreshments. An arched opening on the right leads to the hot rooms. Facing, are three curtained tall arches, each leading to dressing cubicles with two couches.

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