Volunteers in    Kazakhstan    

   Kayalyk. Bath house.

“ When King Kubat after capture Amida has gone in public

Bath and  has received from it huge pleasure, he has ordered

to construct such institutions in all cities of Persia.”

Adam Metz “Moslem Renascence.

HAMMAM IN MEDIEVAL KAYALYK

 Bath - one of the basic types of public buildings of Middle Ages in the East. A bath played the huge role in life of medieval cities of the East. These constructions carried out not only hygienic function, a bath was used for a raising of the fallen mood, for rest, for a friendly chat with friends, for a meeting and conversation on the purchase and sale, on commercial transaction and showing; of skill in a chess and backgammon. A bath quite often was used  in the medical purposes.

Popularity of these institutions among urban population was really huge. Dzhelal Essad wrote: “Baths as are necessary for a Moslem as well as mosque.” It is known, for example, that in Bagdad in first half X of century was totaled 10 thousand baths. The interesting fact can be found in “Narrative of timing years”, where it is mentioned, that in the contract was made between Byzantium and Russia, the Greek side undertook to provide to Russian envoys and to merchants in Constantinople using the blessings of Byzantian bath. This specially stipulated point of the contract allows to judge, that Russian showed the big interest to the Byzantian bath, using which considered the desired privilege. And one known medieval calligrapher has placed a maxim on the wall of the bath of Meshed: “Area of the bath it is similar to paradise, though its structure from clay and brick”.

In Middle Ages, in the countries gravitating to the East, hammam (a bath of east type) has huge popularity while in bath building of the western regions in Middle Ages the antique tradition continued to prevail. Expansion of hammam in huge territory (from India to Spain) in a wide time interval (from early Middle Ages about XX century) testifies about its technical perfection and functional expediency. The first eastern bath in Central Asia appeared, probably not earlier than VIII century.

As a result of field works of Pridzhungarian group of  Southern - Kazakhstan Complex Archaeological Expedition (SKCAE) in 2001 in territory of medieval settlement Antonovka the construction of the fine safety, interpretive as a bath – hammam, was opened  and investigated.

The bath represents the rectangular form a construction, the sizes 11,36 x 8,9 m, consisting of eight internal rooms, seven from which settle down around of the central hall, and as the central entrance arranged in east part. It represents a narrow corridor which basic function, probably, was the heat-insulation. For constructions of similar type the crosswise lay-out is characteristic. Construction is focused by corners on the parts of the world.

In all probability, in northern part of a bath the court yard - ayvan was constructed. Finds of khums, with an aperture in the bottom part, on its territory testify about taking wine, and the court yard is represents by a certain place of rest after hot bath exercise.

Five rooms of the bath have the different size the bathing constructions arranged in northern part of rooms. Two of them are interpreted as “cool” (room ¹ 4, ¹ 6), they had baths of the average sizes; two – “hot” (large swimming baths ¹ 7, ¹ 8) are rooms for washing; and the first room of the complex (¹ 1), presumably intended for undressing and for preliminary hygiene. This room with moderate temperature has deep, but the small sizes a bath, which was used for initial ablution of legs and a body.

The hygienic room (¹ 3) preceded the central hall (room ¹ 5) including functions of the steam bath and massage. Adjacent with the central hall the room ¹ 2 carried out similar functions.

It is interesting, that northern corner of the central hall represents the construction is obviously reminding mihrab, the top part of which looks as a small semidome. The bottom of the “mihrab” is made out as a step. Generally in the eastern baths the place for utterance a prayer by was certainly provided. It is necessary to tell, that a bath always to arouse suspicion at the Moslems  religiously observing the instructions of Islam. Is possible the population of city professing Islam, solved this problem by organization the “mihrab” inside the bath complex. With approach the established time of prayer bathers gathered and prayed, as were - in loincloths (an assumption stipulated for such cases by a Sheriyat). This custom is characteristic, maybe, only for Central Asia - at least we anywhere did not found mentions about this sort of baths construction of other countries of the East.

One room (¹ 3), on the functional purpose, is “technical”, in connection with an arrangement in it the round shape capacity for heating waters from which bathers could to scoop the heated water and to carry it in a place necessary for them.

Heating system of floors.

Underground system of heating (hippocaustik) is the brightest feature of the east baths. In the hammam hot air from furnace usually was supplied  by the heat channels which are settling down under a floor.

           System of a water pipe.

During the excavation the are many ceramic parts of system of supply by water were found. Water resource was the nowadays being spring, with slightly salty water.

It is possible to describe procedure of bathing which in a general way was the same, as in Turkish baths. Mittens from a rough woolen fabric and small wooden or metal basins, and here and there, probably, potter's utensils were used for washing. Massage occupied, as everywhere, the honorary place. “Method of  washing it is extremely strange: you was put in all growth, rubbed by hair brushes, scraped, bang, break, and all this unusually freshens body”.

On the basis of a complex of ceramics and as on the basis of results of researches similar by construction of the bath complexes in extensive territory of Eurasia, it is possible to relate with the big part of confidence Kayalyk’s bath to type classical east hammam and to date it XIII - XIV cc.