Mezquina y baño del Nobel / Hammam al-Yawza.

A study of El Bañuelo, Granada – baths and Mosque of the Walnut Tree. An 11th century meeting place for locals comprising a cool room (sala de refresco), central room (sala central) and hot room (sala caliente). The baths survived demolition by Catholic Monarchs in the 15th Century and are the oldest surviving, best-preserved Arab baths in Spain.

The bañuelo’s columns were re-purposed from Roman and Visigothic ruins. The structure’s octagonal and star shaped holes provided light and temperature control, simultaneously reducing the weight of the vaulted spaces.

Part of an ongoing body of research into bathing practice across various cultures.