There were two displays which were set up as strictly tourist attractions - one was a laundry and the other was a rather elaborate bath house in the old style. They had been peopled with manikins and the bath house even had resident goldfish.

THE WASH HOUSE - Zanjan

Rather than post the explanatory sign, which I photographed, I am copying it verbatim since I think that it will be difficult to read when re-sized to fit. I have presented it verbatim and my spellchecker went crazy; but if I had tried to translate this technical data into Farsi you would have got no information at all.

Historical building of Rakhtshooy-Khaneh has been established in the center of a crowded, old, residential area of Zanjan named Abbas-Gholi-Khan and a neighbourhood named Baba-Jamal-Chogori. This monument is surrounde by high walls like a fort.

This complex has been built by order of Mr AliAkbari Tofiqi, the mayor in 1928 (1307 with the Iranian calendar). It was a place of laundry.

The custodianship and directorship of this building were in front courtyard with several rooms. The main part of this complex which his special for laundry consists of four sections. The first section is a reservoir with the dimentions of 17 meters lenght, 1½ meters width, 8 meters height and the capacity of 740 cubemeters . The second section is a place like a terrace where the main wash house is over looked by this place. This part is like a dais and a dominant position of control. The third section is the main part of the wash house, it is a saloon with dimentions of 1 3/7 meters width, 62 meters length and 677/60 meters area which is designed and constructed with very beautiful perspective.

There are two cones cutive rows of arches and vaults which are separated by stone columns. This space along with 11 columns has divided the saloon into two symmetrical parts. The distance between two columns is 5/17 meters. The place of washing consists of four units of small basins and water passages around the basins. There borders and separating lines made of various kinds of Travertan stones which divide the basins and passages.

According to rather comprehensive studies done in the field of Iran’s geography, such a complex with mentioned functions hasnot been observed anywhere.

The organization of Torisim & cultural Heritage of zanjan province

THE BATH HOUSE (Hamam) - Kerman

There are goldfish in the pool

Quoting from Bradt “The Bath House is now an ethnographic museum displaying all the accoutrements one needed to visit a bath house in Safavid times.” It is entered via the Bazaar in Kerman.

The Craftsmen's Booth

Also in Bradt is this boxed exerpt from “Travels in Georgia, Persia, Armenia … Vol 1, 1822, Page 232 written by R Ker Porter.

”The Hamam
The bather having undressed in the outer room, and receiving nothing about him but a piece of loose cloth around the waist, is conducted by the proper attendant into the hall of the bath; a large white sheet is then spread on the floor, on which the bather extends himself [and warm water is poured over him] …

The attendant then takes his employer’s head upon his knees, and rubs with all his might, a sort of wet paste of henna plant, into the mustachios and beard …

Again he has recourse to the small pail, and showers upon his quiescent patient another torrent of warm water. Then putting on a glove of soft hair, yet possessing some of the scrubbing brush qualities, he first takes the limbs, and then the body, rubbing them for three-quarters of an hour [after which, follows pumicing] …

To this proceeds the shampooing, which is done by pinching, pulling, and rubbing, with so much force and pressure as to produce a violent glow over the whole frame. Some natives delight in having every joint in their bodies strained till they crack … that the very vertebrae of the back are made to ring a peal in rapid succession …

This over, the shampooed body, reduced again to its prostrate state, is rubbed all over with a preparation of soap confined in a bag, till he is one mass of lather. The soap is then washed off with warm water, when a complete ablution succeeds by him being led off to the cistern and plunged in.”

The Khans' Booth