Sha'bi Baths

Acre, Israel

Hammam al-Sha'bi is the older and smaller hammam among Acre's two extant hammams. As early as 1704 it was mentioned in the waqfiyya of Haj Muhammad Ibn al-Shaykh Khalil al-Sha`bi as one of the properties dedicated to al-Raml mosque (which is also known as al-Sha'bi mosque).

In spite of its relatively small size, it is rich in spaces of various temperatures, steam and cold water baths and relaxation rooms as well as rooms that used to provide private baths for wealthy patrons. The hammam is filled with vibrant colors as its floors are covered with multicolored tiles and its vaults and domes are inlayed with opulent colorful glass roundels.


Sources:


Dichter, Bernhard. 2000. Akko-Sites from the Turkish Period. Haifa: University of Haifa, 205-207

Petersen, Andrew. 2001. A Gazetteer of Buildings in Muslim Palestine: Part 1.Oxford: Oxford University Press, 86