EL BANUELO

El Bañuelo is a historic museum in Granada that was originally an Arab Bath dating back to the 11th century. It is one of the oldest and best-preserved hammams of the city as an allusion to the Islam dominance in Spain. El Bañuelo is now a cultural heritage site and a popular tourist attraction that can be explored for free.

Located on the banks of the Darro River in the Albaicin neighborhood of Granada is El Bañuelo which is built on the site of what used to be an Arab Bath. The bath, also known as Baño del Nogal or Hammam al-Yawza, was built during the reign of Zirid kings in the 11th century.

It was originally intended to be a meeting place for the residents with different shifts for men and women, who would visit the bath for a haircut, massage, or relaxation. After the conquest of Granada by Catholics, the bath lost its significance and formed a part of the Christian home that was built later on the same site. 

The bath comprised several rooms in a sequence that were used for cleansing and purification of the body and soul according to the Islamic tradition. The first room upon entering from the Christian house is an alfresco reception or relaxation room with a square water basin.

The next is the steam room which has three chambers - cold room, warm room, and hot room based on different water temperatures. The unique vaulted ceiling with skylights, brick arches, and marble columns at the El Bañuelo Museum add to its beauty and magnificence.

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Highlights

• Explore El Bañuelo museum and learn about its architecture, significance, and purpose as a Moorish Bath during the 11th century.
• Walk through the former Christian house and enjoy a delectable mint tea before proceeding to the courtyard and hallway of El Bañuelo
• Witness the Bath’s spacious brick vaults, vaulted ceiling adorned with small octagonal and star-shaped skylights, Roman and Visigoth-style columns, and horseshoe-shaped arches
• Visit the relaxation room that has a central water basin, all three chambers of the steam room which includes the cold room, warm room, and hot room, and the service area which houses furnaces and boilers