Journal of - International Society for the History of Islamic Medicine

Hammam an Excellent Way of Disease Prevention and
Cure with Special Reference to Kulliate Nafeesi
Mohd. USMAN*
Shamim IRSHAD**
A. HAKEEM**
QZ AHMAD**
* Lecturer Dept. of Tahaffuzi wa Samaji Tib Jamia Tibbiya Deoband,UP,India
** Lecturer Dept. of Ilmul Advia Jamia Tibbiya Deoband,UP,India
e-mail: siazmi@gmail.com
Introduction and Historical Back Ground
In Unani system of medicine the term Hammam refers
to bath, it is aimed not only to clean the body but also to
obtain the beneficial effect for skin and different organs and
prevention from humoural diseases.
Unani physicians were very much skilled in the use of
medicated bath for the treatment of different diseases. Syrians
built Hammam about 2000 years ago in Syria, royal
places were facilitated with Hammam. According to historic
sources the tradition of Hammam was present in the
valley of river, Nile and Syria, centuries before the Roman
develops Hammam.
Concept of Islamic Hammam
In Islamic period Hammam were built In Syria first.
Hammam Qusair Umrah was the first Hammam of Islamic
period which was built in damishq in period of
Hasham Bin Abdul Malik (723-744) it was a big Hammam,
situated in the north of palace. The Cagaloglu hammam,
built in the 1500s, is the oldest functioning hammam
in Istanbul. This 19th century drawing shows the
Harara (hot room) where the bather sweats washes and
is massaged. (Illustration from Sweat, copyright Mikkel
Aaland)
Muhammad( Peace upon him), believed that the heat
of the hammam (which in Arabic means “spreader of
warmth”) enhanced fertility, and the followers of the faith
should multiply. Until the hammam caught Muhammed’s
fancy, the Arabs used only cold water and never bathed in
tubs, which was considered as bathing in one’s own filth.
But when the conquering Arabs encountered Roman and
Greek baths in Syria, holy men immediately adopted the
pleasure of hot air bathing (perhaps to compensate for
the joys of alcohol forbidden by their faith). When Turk
reached Anatolia they brought the tradition of Hammam
with them.
In Roman period the number of Hammam increases
some roman emperor manage to construct Hammam e.g.
Hammam of anti choch (Anatolia). The tradition of Turkish
bath is very old
According to Sheikh in Kulliat Nafeesi
Hammam consists of three rooms, Masalakh (which
works as dressing room) is excluded from the Hammam,
and temperature of Masaslakh is equal to the temperature
of external environment.
First Room
This room is attached with Masalakh, its air is cold and
moist, its temperature is not high because it is far from the
furnace, it is warmer then masalakh.
Second room
This room is relatively closer to the furnace, its air is
warm, which makes the body warm and the water used in
this room made the body moist.
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ISHIM 2011-2012