Abstract
Hammam, an Arabic word taken into Persian and Urdu, means a bathing place or
a bath consisting of cold and hot rooms. In general terms, it is used to describe
both private and public bath houses.
In the west, we observe that hammams as historical entity evolved and developed
during the Roman period (27 BC–AD 476/1453). The magnitude of the Baths of
Caracalla at Rome even today bear witness to the importance of bathing in the
everyday life of the Roman people. Coming down through history and with the
advent of Islam, the Arabs faced the religious necessity of performing ablutions
regularly. They liked the concept of a public bath and in a short span of time baths
known as hammams became an important part of the Islamic Architecture. In the
beginning, hammams started out as structural rudiments serving as a part of the
compound of mosques or madrassas and with the passage of time, these small
rooms developed into massive structural complexes.
Mughals (1526-1858), one of the most astounding patrons of Art and Architecture
brought the bathing customs to Asia. The Royal bath structures were mainly for
the usage of the Royal family, hence they were matchlessly built in the context of
utility, mechanism, elegance and beauty. The two adjacent baths known as
Shahjahani Hammam and ladies hammam discussed in this article were made in
the vicinity of Lahore Fort during Shahjahan (1633 A.D).
These buildings were visualized as a place like heaven for their patrons, where all
human senses were meant to be content in their own regime on earth. The
Shahjahani Hammam is very ‘Private’ in character with all the necessary
luxurious elements that a celebrated emperor can aspire for. This article aims to
document the importance of the Shahjahani hammam structurally plus the role it
played in the life of its patrons socially.
Faiqa Waqar. (2019) Shahjahani Hammam: Bathing establishment built during Shah-Jahan at the Lahore fort, Journal of the Research Society of Pakistan, Volume 56, Issue 2.
-
Views
500 -
Downloads
113
Article Details
Volume
Issue
Type
Language
