The Isabey Hammam: Conclusion

Looking at the development of baths in the Mediterranean through time, it is clear that bathing was an important practise from Late Antiquity all the way through to the Ottoman period. While the construction and some of the functions of the public bath changed, and the practise of bathing became linked to religion  sometime after the seventh century, its importance is a constant factor.

 

This is, generally, fairly visible archaeologically, if not always visible within the city of Ephesus, in which we find little evidence of baths between the 5th and 14th centuries. Of course, there are many other examples from the wider Mediterranean that do span this time period.

 

From Ephesus specifically, the Isabey hammam is a very interesting and important building. As part of a larger complex, it showcases a hammam as it must once have been entrenched within its wider community, and the wealth of finds from within the complex can shed some light on the functions of different rooms.