hammam ammuna

Implementing the Hammamed-project, Oikodrom and their project-partners work on three specific hammams in three different countries.
Subsequently you can find the description of the neighbourhood al-Uqayba and the Hammam Ammuna.

Historic period:
Ayyubid period
Neighbourhood:
al-Uqayba
Case study leader:
Dr. Sarab Atassi

The neighbourhood of al-Uqayba, which is outside the city walls (extra muros), is located to the south of the al-Faradis cemetery (al-Dahdah now adays) and to the north of Bab al-Faradis which is one of the northern gates of the Old City of Damascus. Al-Uqayba quarter retains its small commercial streets (suwayqas) and its traditional narrow alleys (haras or zuqaqs) and dead-end streets which relate to many old Damascene houses.

Hammam Ammuna is situated at the intersection of three streets near a small open space that has resulted from the demolition of two nearby houses. From al-Tawba mosque, one can find a curved street where most commercial shops, selling local food, are next to each other. This street joins another one, coming south from our hammam, to form a lovely open public space, called crossing-center of al-Amara (Musallabat al-Amara), where the office of the chief of the quarter, al-Mukhtar, is located. On this node, the heart of the neighbourhood, there are many small shops (butchers, grocers, cooked bean vendors, DVD, CD and mobile telephone sellers, etc.). By crossing the principal road of Malek Faysal to the south, one can pass through the old gate of the city, Bab al-Faradis, to reach the nearby Umayyad Mosque.

On the west of al-Tawba mosque and Hammam al-Omari, a number of carpentry and metal workshops are distributed along the principal spine of the quarter. Alongside traditional streets, old houses give an impression of homogeneity and harmony in a very viable atmosphere, and these conditions could make possible the preservation of this extra-muros neighbourhood. This coherence is intensified by the presence of many historical monuments such as Khanqah al-Nahassin, al-Turba al-Ajurriya, al-Yussef House, the Centre of Historical Archives, etc.

By crossing Musallabat al-Amara, through the narrow alley going north, then passing under a vaulted alley (sibat) supported by nine arches, one can find just on the left the entrance of hammam Ammuna, a small, low and metallic door. The façade with its door and two large windows is painted alternatively in black and white, in order to be recognized in the nearby built environment.

Hammam Ammuna, with his rectangular plan, has a well conserved exterior or reception hall, al-Barrani. This hall has four high arched alcoves (iwans) and is covered with a high dome supported by four arches. A lantern at the top of the dome provides natural light and ventilation. In the center of the reception hall, paved with checkered black and rosy stones, one can notice an octagonal basin made of stone and decorated with small geometric motifs in marble. The successive bathing areas are covered with small domes pierced with star shaped or circular glazed openings (locally called qamariyat) allowing natural light to penetrate the spaces. These round apertures form amazing patterns, each one different from the other.

Until the year 2002; the clients of Hammam Ammuna were mixed women in the morning and men in the evening. Most of the clients of this hammam are men although women can hire the facilities for special occasions. As most other hammams in Damascus, Hammam Ammuna is owned by the Ministry of Awqaf (Religious Endowments), and the managers pay an annual rent.

In addition to its architectural qualities, Hammam Ammuna still uses the traditional way for heating, based on wood shavings, and its registration in the antiquities list is undergoing. For all these reasons, the local group has decided to focus on this hammam, hoping that this study may help in upgrading the working conditions. The enhancement of this hammam and the neighbourhood may encourage its benefits as a social place for the quarter and also assist the economic development of the local community.

Different stakeholders like the Iraqi architect Mr. Issam al-Ani have started to reanimate the hammams in Damas??cus. The lessons learned from the HAMMAM study will serve these people in their will to upgrade the many valuable hammams that are becoming available for new usage patterns.