The Hamam

The use of public baths (hammam) was common practice in the Ottoman
era. The Turkish public bath near the Tabačica mosque and the Tabhana (the
town district encompassing leather processing workshops) was built
between the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century in
the classical Ottoman architectural style. It is the only Turkish bath still
existing in Mostar and one of the few remaining examples in the whole of
Herzegovina.The Hammam comprises a central room used as an
antechamber, an intermediate space (tepidarium) and the room for the bath
itself, called calidarium.This type of building is conceived for a purely
functional, public use without any pretence to opulence: the external parts
usually have no decorations and, surrounding the Turkish bath, there often
stands a mosque, an Islamic school or a public kitchen. The Cejvan Ćehajin
Hamam has no windows and has a roof made of domes designed to protect
the privacy of its users. At the end of the Ottoman era, the Bath ceased to be
used and, restored during the reconstruction of the historic centre, thanks to
the aid of France and Turkey, it is nowadays used to host exhibitions and
cultural events.