Hamam al-Sammara ( ar, حمام السمرا, also spelled ''Hamaam as-Sumara''; transliteration: "the Bath of the Samaritans" or "the Brown Bath") is the only active

hammam A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited f ...

(traditional public bathhouse) remaining in Gaza, located in the

Zeitoun Quarter Al-Zaytun (also spelled Zeitoun or Harat az-Zaytoun; ar, الزيتون; Arabic translation: "the Quarter of Olive trees") is the southwestern and largest quarter of Gaza's Old City.Sharon, 2009, p 29/ref> Prior to the demolition of the Old Cit ...

of the Old City. It is situated below street level. El-Haddad, Lailabr>Hammat al-Sammara/Hammam es-Samara/Sammara Public Baths
''This Week in Palestine''. December 2006. It is currently owned by Salim Abdullah al-Wazeer.

History

Although rumored to date back to pre-

Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...

times in Gaza, a plaque in the lobby of the bathhouse proclaims that Hamam al-Sammara was restored in 1320 by the

Mamluk Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning " slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') ...

governor of the city

Sanjar al-Jawli Sanjar ibn Abdullah Alam al-Din Abu Sa'id al-Jawli (also spelled Sangar al-Gawli, Sanjar al-Jawali or Sinjar al-Jawili, 1255–14 January 1345) was a powerful Mamluk ''emir'' and the Governor of Gaza and much of Palestine between 1311–20 during ...

.Hamam as-Sumara (Gaza)
Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People. 2004, Volume I. It is the only hammam in Gaza, of the original five, that continues to function. According to Theodore E. Dowling writing in 1913, in 1584, a Samaritan community existed in Gaza and possessed a large

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

and two bathhouses. "One of them still bears the name "the Bath of the Samaritans". One of the governors of Gaza who belonged to the

Ridwan dynasty The Ridwan dynasty (also spelled ''Radwan''; tr, RizvanZe'evi, 2012, p39/ref>) was the most prominent pasha family in Palestine, ruling the southwestern districts of the Damascus Eyalet ("Province of Damascus") in the 16th and 17th centuries und ...

, desired to acquire the bathhouse, but the owner refused to sell it and the indignant governor had him hanged in front of the building. It is believed the Samaritans were expelled from the city before the turn of the 16th century.Dowling, 1913, pp.38-39. The Wazeer family who owned Hamam as-Sammara decided to tear it down and construct a new building. However, they were faced with an ancient water heating system and traditional bathhouse that no longer functioned properly and which would be extremely costly to repair. Therefore, the Islamic University of Gaza and the

United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...

partly restored Hamam as-Sammara after it was nearly demolished due to rising costs of maintenance. The bathhouse still uses an old system of wood-fueled ovens and aqueducts, and for this reason, the Wazeer family has been collecting funds to renovate the aqueducts beneath the buildings

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

slabs.

Structure and services

Hamam as-Sammara consists of several rooms with varied temperatures. Customers first leave their belongings with the clerk, then proceed to the steam room, after which they bathe in warm water. Sprinklers shower cool water on bathers to prevent overheating, and canisters are provided for ladling water. The final stage involves wading in the ''maghtas'', a small pool filled with hot water, about a meter deep. After bathing, customers enter the room-temperature lounge. Massages are also available. Massages are undertaken by a ''mudalik'' (a professional "scrubber"), while the client soaks in the steam room. Bathhouses are used as a folk remedy for

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...

and infertility, and it is customary for mothers to bring their 40-day-old infants to Hamam as-Sammara for a blessing. It has a social importance, especially to women, as a place where community members come together to socialize. Services are open to both men and women, but at different times of the day.

References

Bibliography

* {{coord missing, Gaza Strip Mamluk architecture in the State of Palestine Buildings and structures in Gaza City Public baths in the Arab world Tourist attractions in the State of Palestine Samaritan culture and history