Arabic Baths of Ronda

The hammam or bath of Ronda is one of the best preserved in the Iberian Peninsula .

They were built next to the Arroyo de las Culebras , a perfect place for water supply.

The chronology of the Arab baths of Ronda goes back to the 13th-14th centuries. Century AD back. Based on the Roman model, they are divided into three main rooms : cold, warm and hot baths as well as the heating and reception room. The hydraulic system of the thermal baths has been practically completely preserved.

The central hall is the largest and is in three parts separated by four pairs of horseshoe arches on brick and stone columns supporting barrel vaults and small domes on shells with star-shaped compartments.

The building is closed on the east by a wall of arches that form the aqueduct through which the water flows from the tower , which houses the washbasin , which is perfectly preserved today. Also preserved are the boiler room, where the water was heated, and the remains of the tanneries , the main activity of the area when it was abandoned as a bathroom after the Castilian conquest of the city.

The latest archaeological work (2009-2010) revealed the remains of the latrine and the ancient staircase that leads to the reception area of the baths.

Inside you can see a small audiovisual presentation on the operation of a bath like the one in Ronda in the Andalusian period.

Willem Vandenameele