Arab Baths of Saint Mary
We hardly have news related to the origin of this public muslim bath. We have to
fall back to the XIII Century, after Ferdinand III the Saint conquest to get the first news. The bath was imposed to the Córdoba family by the christian monarch; exactly it was for Don Rodrigo Muñoz the Adalid.
The name of "Baths of Saint Mary" is related to the proximity of the Cathedral, which was built under the
advocation of Saint Mary, and also for belonging to the section of Saint Mary. In our city there are other baths such as those of Saint Catherine. These were Muslim but the name was christian due to the proximity of the Saint Catherine Convent.
There were many other baths but they were not conserved, of which in many cases we have documented and archaeological, and we could not nor can ever recover. Only the Baths of Saint Mary thank to the conservative spirit of the owners (from that
house of Lord of Córdoba, the Cathedral Chapter, or from the mid-twentieth century the Counts of Cañete de las Torres, and now Don Enrique Cañas Velasco). So nowadays we can appreciate a wonderful example of caliph bath.
Previously the façade of the bath was spotted from the Cespedes Street and Velázquez Bosco Street, this last one was known as Bath Street. Before we start making the brief analysis of the units, it must be said that this bath suffered
numerous modifications along the times. Now it is integrated into a private house but the owner allows its visit.
When we enter we find a squared room, not very big, it was the Lukewarm water room or Warm Room (Hayt al-Wastâni). It has a skylight vault, and in the middle there was a little pond. After the restoration it was transformed into an
open air court (in the XVIII Century). It is composed by eight columns and it has horseshoe arch. It would be logical to think that the eight columns holding up the walls, would have to add the missing on both small sides. The columns are plain, and it has wasp capitals, belonging to the caliph period. In the arches there are alterned polychromated voussoirs imitating those of the Mosque.
At the bottom of the court there is a little door that leads us to a little room, ten meters length. It is covered by a barrel skylight vault. This is the Hot Room (Bayt al -sajun). In front of this there is a walled part, in two extremities, whereas the central one has a barrel vault, with its six meters of depth and two meters of height, that leads us to a pool.
fall back to the XIII Century, after Ferdinand III the Saint conquest to get the first news. The bath was imposed to the Córdoba family by the christian monarch; exactly it was for Don Rodrigo Muñoz the Adalid.
The name of "Baths of Saint Mary" is related to the proximity of the Cathedral, which was built under the
advocation of Saint Mary, and also for belonging to the section of Saint Mary. In our city there are other baths such as those of Saint Catherine. These were Muslim but the name was christian due to the proximity of the Saint Catherine Convent.
There were many other baths but they were not conserved, of which in many cases we have documented and archaeological, and we could not nor can ever recover. Only the Baths of Saint Mary thank to the conservative spirit of the owners (from that
house of Lord of Córdoba, the Cathedral Chapter, or from the mid-twentieth century the Counts of Cañete de las Torres, and now Don Enrique Cañas Velasco). So nowadays we can appreciate a wonderful example of caliph bath.
Previously the façade of the bath was spotted from the Cespedes Street and Velázquez Bosco Street, this last one was known as Bath Street. Before we start making the brief analysis of the units, it must be said that this bath suffered
numerous modifications along the times. Now it is integrated into a private house but the owner allows its visit.
When we enter we find a squared room, not very big, it was the Lukewarm water room or Warm Room (Hayt al-Wastâni). It has a skylight vault, and in the middle there was a little pond. After the restoration it was transformed into an
open air court (in the XVIII Century). It is composed by eight columns and it has horseshoe arch. It would be logical to think that the eight columns holding up the walls, would have to add the missing on both small sides. The columns are plain, and it has wasp capitals, belonging to the caliph period. In the arches there are alterned polychromated voussoirs imitating those of the Mosque.
At the bottom of the court there is a little door that leads us to a little room, ten meters length. It is covered by a barrel skylight vault. This is the Hot Room (Bayt al -sajun). In front of this there is a walled part, in two extremities, whereas the central one has a barrel vault, with its six meters of depth and two meters of height, that leads us to a pool.
Text: J.A.S.C.
Traslated by Sara Moretti
Art, Culture and Tourism in Cordoba