The 700 Years Old Secret of Israel…

HospiBuz Desk

The 700 years old secret of Israel is the old-spa of Jerusalem (Israel’s Capital). The actual name of this ancient spa is the al-Ayn bathhouse, which was constructed near 1336. The bathhouse got severely damaged during the mid-20th century but after the years of fastidious restoration, it is ready to open again. The al-Ayn bathhouse is an ancient hammam which is hidden below the streets of Jerusalem, is coming back to life again. It was completely sitting unused since the early 1970s. It was built in the 14th century along with the Khan Tankiz Plaza over it. This summer, the ancient hammam will once again come into operation and will offer visitors the chance to indulge in its steam baths and some other spa treatments.

Basically, at that time it was built for the Muslim pilgrims, who wanted to get indulge in ritual washing before the prayers at the nearby al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock Shrine and along with local merchants and residents who washed here for their hygiene purposes. Now it is the city’s only functioning hamman for the people.

Arnan Basheer, director at the Centre for Jerusalem Studies at al-Quds University, who helped to oversee the renovation work of ancient hamman and now operates said, “Opening this hammam again is important because that is the only way to preserve this cultural heritage of the Country, else  space just goes to waste”.

The wooden latticework inside hammam and red, white and black colour scheme of the reception room exactly recalls the original style of this ancient bathhouse. The renovation work of the ancient hammam have did not changed the architectural design and layout of the bathhouse but it added more modern amenities like electrical lighting and showers.  Now, it is the perfect place for the visitors to relax and socialize while waiting for spa treatments.

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