Hammam El Soltane ( Arabic: حمام السلطان), literally "''Sultan's bath''", is one of the most famous Turkish baths in the

medina of Sfax The Sfax medina is the medina quarter of the Tunisian city of Sfax. It was built by Aghlabid prince Abu Abbass Muhammad between 849 and 851. The medina is home to about 113,000 residents, and is dominated by the Great Mosque of Sfax. On 12 Februa ...

. Currently not functioning, it is at risk of being demolished.

Location

The hammam is in the eastern part of the medina in Sfax near Sidi Lakhmi mosque and Dar Jellouli Museum. It overlooks Driba Street.

History

The written sources do not retain an exact date for the construction of this hammam. Nevertheless, an

epigraphic Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...

inscription at the entrance of the building commemorates the restoration of the monument by the master Mohamed El Kotti in 1649 during the Muradid Dynasty. Some historians suggest that the building was founded during the Aghlabid reign. The same source mentions the existence of a secret underground passage between the hammam and Dar Essebii, the house of one of the former governors of the city of Sfax.

Etymology

The hammam got its name from the fact that two former governors of the city were murdered in it: Mansour al-Barghouati in the middle of the 11th century and Umar al-Hafsi at the end of the 14th century.

Description

The entrance opens on a small

vestibule Vestibule or Vestibulum can have the following meanings, each primarily based upon a common origin, from early 17th century French, derived from Latin ''vestibulum, -i n.'' "entrance court". Anatomy In general, vestibule is a small space or cavity ...

, which gives access to the cells of the hammam. The main room is square, with each side 6.5 meters long. There is a central

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

and barrel vaults on both sides. The dome is of tripartite composition, consisting of a rectangular base, an octagonal drum and a hemispherical cap. The vaults, oriented north–south, are over 14 meters long and 4 meters wide. File:Window of hammam sultan.jpg, Window of the hammam File:Dome of Hammam el Sultan.jpg, Dome of the Hammam

References

{{Reflist Medina of Sfax