In the Castilian divisions of the Nazari town of Málaga, five baths are known, located in all cases next to neighborhood mosques of the Andalusian medina. there´s an obvious relationship between the baths and the mosque, so we can establish an effective relationship between hammām and masŷid, both are created as religious institutions.
The Muslim doctrine imposes a strict ritual to ensure body and spiritual purity before the prayer (salāt): the full ablution of body (gusl) in the baths; and the minor ablution (wudū’) inside the mosque, in the fountain of the patio or in places designed for that purpose (dār al-wudū’, “house of ablutions”), serves to eliminate a minor impurity state.That´s the reason why the baths are located next to mosques.
Unfortunately, Arabs sources contents very few generic news of little relevance on these buildings in the city of Málaga, without providing even a symple name or location. Largely, these baths, when the ritual and religious meaning disappeared among Muslims, were converted by the Spaniards in warehouses.
Baths location as the distribution: allocation according to the authorities.
Hammam-Arab-baths.Baths cited in the divisons.
1. Gate House of ‘Aqaba (Square in front of Alcazaba).
2. Granada Street (to Denis Belgrado).
3. De las Parras Street.
4. Next to Hospital del Rey.
5. Císter Street.
Other baths
1. Plaza Mayor (actually Plaza de la Constitución).
2.Next to Agustinos (today Santa María).
3. Castillo de los Genoveses (actually under Málaga Palacio).
Virgilio Martínez Enamorado
Bathing information.- Healthy practice
The new style of life creates a desire of being and having, for this reason there is a large number of new health disorders. Nowadays, these kind of illness are related with the fact of people being pushed by social requirements. The need of always being at the top takes people slowly to get ill, not even knowing that what seems to be a success also can take us quickly in the same direction. What will we say after an important sale, followed by a hearty high fat lunch, with alcohol and tobacco consumption; we´ll talk about happyness, certanly a hard pushing way to diseases such as obesity, dyslipidemia (cholesterol), disglicemia (Azucar), hipertensión, etc.
Living in a very different world, in ancient Greece and Roma they discovered bathing was a healthy practice. They thought and even proved that the use of certain kind of water, ussually located on privileged places and with specific properties, such as temperature or purity; was a really helpfull for people´s health and was really good also for chronic diseases such as rheumatism and even urinary tract or digestive disorders.
It was also a healthy practice not only for body but also for mind. the water, sweating, temperature changing, oils (inside and after the bath), toned muscles, purified toxins, embellished the skin and hair and put you in the best position to discuss and get the best political arHot chocolate and ice cream[+22];ments, family and sentimental. All the world around the bathing was so important that significant families built their owns baths at home. Citizens were flattered by the creation of public baths (Thermae) and took advantage of the medicinal waters around them to create true spa cities.
These big resorts became famous in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, recovered from oblivion, were used again for the pursuit of peace of mind and social. Bathing resorts were also meeting places for settling social conflicts and political, entertainment and inspiration for poets and writers. Helped to remove the "bad moods", diluted with water jet or immersion in water baths. And unfortunately also opened, to be the scene of political crimes, like Cánovas in Spain.
Now in the technology century we also look forward to enjoy bathing. In the dark ages of the Decline of the West, bathrooms persisted in the East, as a sign of social, political and physical health. Inheritors of the wisdom of the ancients kept under similar formulas so far. Combining hydrotherapy and thalassotherapy, massage and many other forms, dry and humid heat, immersion, baptism, jets, etc . A base of knowledge directed primarily to balance the loss that we cited at the beginning, preventing that the large current and future evils are installed in our lives. We´ve now started using these bathing houses to enjoy our lives again.
For these reasons it is never a bad idea to look for some spare time to enjoy bathing by using ancient techniques, it will always be good for our physical and mental health.
Signed by José Luis Martínez (Doctor in Medicine)
