Against Gravity

Sophia Germanidou and Tina Gerolymou

The Hamam of Kyparissia, Western Messinia: An Unknown Ottoman Bath and its Structural Parts within the Frame of Local Ottoman Architecture and Topography
The hamam of Kyparissia at western Messinia, is mentioned by the Turkish traveler Evlija Çelebi (1668), but its position remained unknown since it was not depicted in the engravings or located in the field survey. It came to light only after the demolition of an old house and the excavation of the site. It has the simple form of a typical Ottoman bath, consisting of the main vaulted spaces and the cistern, dated in all probability between the end of the 16th and the first half of the 17th century. In the present paper we attempt to remodel the construction, identify the spatial uses, define the structural parts. Also, we aim to relate it with the equally disregarded remnants of Ottoman architecture in Kyparissia and the Ottoman baths that are preserved in the castle of Methoni, in the wide area of Messinia.