The Great Hammam of Pristina (, , / ) is one of the few Ottoman-era monuments in Pristina, Kosovo. Hammams are also known as Turkish baths. It was built in the 15th century and was part of the Imperial Mosque (Pristina). During the summer and spring, it was used as a meeting place. Considered one of the most important buildings of the cultural and historical heritage, the Great Hammam of Pristina was in poor condition through the years until the approval of its restoration.
The hammam is currently under restoration and it is planned to become the Museum of Pristina. The building is owned by the Municipality of Pristina and is under the protection of the Republic of Kosovo. It has been part of the cultural heritage per the decision of the Minister Memli Krasniqi of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, since October 2012. But, before that, the Kosovo War, in 1985 the hammam was considered a protected monument by the law "Protection of the Monument" number 19/77, according to the architect Nol Binakaj. According to him, even though the hammam is different a lot from the original version, only the east part of the building and the main face of the building have been changed. The rest of the building has remained the same. It is a symbol of the old Pristina, together with the Clock Tower, Çarshia Mosque, Academy building, Fatih Mosque and others.
Origin
The Great Hammam of Pristina was built in the second half of the 15th century and it was one of the first Ottoman objects to be built in the Republic of Kosovo. It is known as a part of the Sultan Mehmet Fatih Mosque, named after Mehmed the Conqueror. The hammam was visited by residents of Pristina as a place to meet and socialize for many generations, until the 1970s. or the 1960s according to the architect Nol Binakaj from the Housing Development and Management-Lund University. According to the legend, the builders who were part of the constructions were obliged by Sultan Mehmet al-Fatih to wash themselves in the Hammam, twice a day.
Architecture
The Great Hammam of Pristina is considered as a double hammam, because it has separate sections for men and women. It is approximately 800 m2 and has a quadrant shape. It has both a hot room and a cold room. The hot room has 16 domes, each containing 15 holes. On one of the domes, the middle hole is in the shape of either the Star of David or the shape of a regular pentagram. The use of these holes is that the hammam inside could be enlightened. The other use of the holes is to keep the hammam warm. The "hot section" of the hammam, includes the so-called "baths of the hammam". This room was heated with steam from hypocausts. The hypocausts were under the floor, which was marble. The building's walls are made of stone, on the other hand, the domes are made of bricks and were covered with bad sheets. The interior, however, was plastered with a traditional mortar called "horasan." The "horasan" is known to be resistant to humidity. This building, in general, has regular shaped stones, which are carved in their corners and are linked with lime mortar. The "cold part" as it was known, was covered by four domes, but no sign of this kind of construction was found. The Great Hammam of Pristina has an entrance hall, a middle warm area, and a main warm area or otherwise known as the massage rooms, etc.
Damage through the years
After the building was abandoned, the hammam has undergone renovations several times. The installation of the new water supply and sewage system, without any criteria have resulted in the loss of precious built details, and the building structure was weakened. Even though the hammam's building is one of the oldest Ottoman buildings in Pristina, there has not been any maintenance, since 1989. The building was used only for keeping the construction materials. Three shops were opened in front of the building in 1994. The shops and the eastern part of the building were soon set on fire, in 1995. According to the European Stability Initiative, the hammam needs protection from the black water. The walls are destroyed from this factor and other factors like time and improper constructions. Not until April 2007, the Municipality of Pristina decided to do its restoration intermittently.