Readout the Bathhouses of the Safavid Period, based on the Travelogues of the 10th to 12th Centuries AH, with an Emphasis on the Architecture of the Baths

Subject Areas :

Najmeh Sanami ¹ (PhD student of Architecture Department, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran.)
Mohsen Tabassi ² (Department of Architecture, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran.)
Vahid Ahmadi ³ (Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran.)

Received: 2023-12-03 Accepted : 2024-06-05 Published : 2024-07-18

Keywords: Bathhouse, Travelogue, Architecture, Anthropology, Safavid period,

Abstract :

Introduction: The Safavid period can be considered one of the important cultural and social periods of Iran and one of the turning points in the architectural history of this land. Iran's privileged geopolitical position and economic attractions in the Safavid era caused many travelers to come to Iran, and most of them wrote travel diaries after returning. The travelogues of European travelers in the 10th to 12th centuries AH, which is approximately the same time as the Safavid period, are considered one of the most important documents of Iranian architectural history, regardless of the purpose of the trip or the shortcomings of the text and sometimes misunderstandings. The lack of documents and written sources about the history of architecture and how buildings are built show the necessity of studying and reflecting on travelogues from this point of view. On the other hand, bathhouses, as a special type in Iranian architecture, are one of the most vulnerable types of architecture, and unfortunately, their destruction has increased in recent decades. Therefore, any source that helps to know and better understand this complex phenomenon in Iranian architecture is valuable. Iranian bathhouses have attracted the attention of tourists from two perspectives, first and more popular culture and second and less, bath architecture. This research seeks to show the image presented by European tourists of the 10th to 12th centuries AH of the Iranian bathhouses by studying a few sources. The research questions are: 1. What aspects of the bathhouses have been noticed by the tourists in their travelogues of the 10th to 12th centuries AH? 2. by emphasizing the architecture of the bathhouses, what are the differences between the image presented by the travel writers and what we know about the baths today? Methodology: The method in this research has a qualitative paradigm and was done in an interpretative-historical way. Data collection has been done through documentary studies and field observations of the bathhouses. Among the many travelogues written in the research period, 26 travelogues were selected and studied. Among the aforementioned travelogues, only six travelogues have mentioned the bathhouses. In chronological order, these travelogues are Figueroa's travelogue, Pietro Della Valle’s travelogue, Adam Olearius's travelogue, Chardin's travelogue, Kaempfer's travelogue, and travel observations from Bengal to Iran by William Francklin. Results: From a quantitative point of view, Architecture has been the most important topic. The Second topic of the travellers’ attention is the Anthropological aspects of bathhouses. Travel writers have also mentioned the Medical and Religious aspects. From a qualitative point of view, with an emphasis on the architecture of bathhouses, the cases mentioned by travelers were very few and incomplete in most cases. The image presented by travelers has many differences from what we know about the architecture of bathhouses today. Conclusion: In general, it can be concluded that the Safavid period was brilliant in the architecture of baths. Most travelers are not familiar with the unique phenomenon called the bathhouse, and that is why few travel books have mentioned the bathhouses and also the few topics of the architecture of the baths. Although the travelogues of the 10th to 12th centuries AH are very important and valuable sources for knowing the history and culture of the Safavid period, they cannot be considered reliable sources regarding the architecture of the bathhouses.