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Hammam: the steam bath of the Islamic world
The hammam is the public bath of the Islamic world. It took over the model of the Roman baths and developed it further – as a place of cleansing and of meeting.
Updated: September 2026 · independent guide, sources linked
In a hammam the focus is on steam; in a garden sauna it's dry heat with water on the stones. Which heater handles generous steam? See our heater comparison.
Wood or electric heater guide →At a glance
| Origin | Islamic world, modelled on the Roman baths |
|---|---|
| Early examples | Umayyad period (661–750), e.g. Qusayr Amra in Jordan |
| Rooms | changing room, cold room, warm room, hot room |
| Heating | furnace with hypocaust under the floor |
| Washing | mainly with running water rather than in a pool |
From Roman baths to hammam
The hammam follows the model of the Roman baths: changing room, cold room, warm room and hot room, heated from below (hypocaust). Muslims adapted the bath to their religious rules: people usually washed in running water rather than immersing themselves in standing water.
History at a glance
- 7th–8th centuryEarly baths of the Umayyad period, such as Qusayr Amra and Hammam al-Sarah in present-day Jordan.
- 10th centurySeparate bathing hours for men and women become customary.
- 1466The Mahmut Pasha Hamam is built in Istanbul.
- 16th centuryOttoman baths such as the Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamam in Istanbul; in Kashan (Iran) the Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse.
More than a bath
The hammam was a social place. For women in particular it offered freedoms that were rare elsewhere: they met, celebrated, exchanged beauty advice and cultivated community.
Hammam and sauna: the difference
In a hammam the focus is on moist steam; in a Finnish sauna it's dry heat with short bursts of steam when water is thrown. If you like steam, throw water in your garden sauna – you'll need a heater with enough stones. As the Japanese mushiburo shows, steam and bathing go together in many cultures.
In a hammam the focus is on steam; in a garden sauna it's dry heat with water on the stones. Which heater handles generous steam? See our heater comparison.
Wood or electric heater guide →More sauna types: Finnish sauna · Smoke sauna · Wood-fired sauna · Electric sauna · Barrel sauna · Sauna cabin · Infrared sauna · Bio sauna · Steam room · Kelo sauna · Kota sauna · Mobile sauna
Sweat baths of other cultures: Banya (Eastern Europe) · Roman baths · Sweat lodge (North America) · Temazcal (Mesoamerica) · Qargi (Yup'ik & Inuit) · Steppe nomads (Scythians) · Hanjeungmak (Korea) · Mushiburo (Japan) · Sweathouses (Ireland)
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