Ottoman Bath, Castle of Chios

The bath is located at the junction of the castle’s sea and land walls. It dates back to the 18th century, which was the heyday period of Chios. It was a public building that was open at various times of the day to accommodate Muslim male and female residents of the Castle. It is part of a noble institution that also included – apart from the bathhouse – a mosque with its cemetery. It is the Castle’s largest hammam, standing out for its significant volume. The building covers a surface of 365 square meters and consists of ten halls. The archaeological and restorative work of the hammam revealed all the functional and structural features of the building. Numerous mobile findings discovered during the research in its interior reflect ideologies and daily practices that are quite different from those of the present-day. These findings provided insight into another world: the everyday life on Chios during the Turkish rule.