Public baths in the world
Between tradition and contemporaneity

Area 08 – Ingegneria civile e Architettura

«Wherever you are and whatever you do, I am pretty sure that you know the pleasure and the benefits of taking a bath. Maybe for this reason, the ancient texts believed that our habitable world, before starting its long, long journey, was submerged in primordial water. And maybe, for the same reason, we are born after a warm and safe bath; and no doubt that everyone of us is still searching for that amiable warmth. Thus, baths, especially public baths, surge as a lovely shortcut to this far and unreachable moment. In this interesting and culturally rich book, several authors from seven countries (Colombia, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, Serbia, Spain, Turkey) and from different backgrounds are providing the reader with important information regarding public baths in many regions for appreciating the subject and its diversity […]». With these words, Antoine Dib invites the reader to dive into an extraordinary reading to discover unknown and fascinated sites where the culture of the thermal bath and the water has always been an important resource for the welfare of the communities. This book represents an interesting journey between Orient and Occident, through the history, the geography, the traditions and the customs, from ancient Romans times to the modern days. In this book, the reader will examine the importance of the public baths or Hammams in the middle east; the Turkish baths in the history of this fantastic country; the rich cultural Serbian heritage through its bathhouses; Then, the reader will appreciate the thermal heritage in Italy in natural and manmade sites; the Aztec and Mayan traditions in the use of the hot springs and sweat baths in Mexico and the different types of baths in Japan like Onsen, Sento, and the relation between the Japanese thermal landscape and art.

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