Visit the Arab Baths of El Bañuelo in Granada
Located in the touristic Carrera del Darro, the Arab Baths of El Bañuelo are a very interesting asset of cultural interest to see in Granada.
They were built in the 11th century and today we can see the typical distribution of these buildings, which were so popular during the Muslim era, a heritage received from the baths of Rome and Byzantium.
In addition to the thermal rooms, you should also admire the octagonal (and also star-shaped) skylights and the column capitals in Roman, Visigothic and Muslim styles.
The importance of the Arab baths
These historic Arab baths are also known as Baño del Nogal or de los Axares, the name given to the neighborhood in which it is located when it was built.
These types of constructions were very typical in Al-Andalus in almost any population since they were very important for the Muslims.
And it is that for them the water was considered a symbol of purification and at the same time it served to maintain hygiene.
In the Arab baths there used to be several types of rooms, some private reserved for the most select classes and others public to which the inhabitants of the city went to wash, receive massages, cut their hair or wax.
They were a full-fledged beauty center with different hours for men and women who went to socialize and interact with other citizens. The baths were also the place where the brides’ wedding preparations were made.
Visit the Arab Baths of El Bañuelo
It is possible to visit El Bañuelo and get an idea of the importance that this building had in Muslim Granada.
In this way you will be able to admire this place that is enclosed behind thick mortar walls, designed to maintain the temperature inside and with a very sophisticated water distribution system for its time.
Its interior is accessed through a house, built later and a patio in which there is a pool.
It consists of 3 rooms where the temperature of the water was at different temperatures, the refreshment room, the central room and the hot water room, following the scheme of the Roman baths where the temperature gradually increased in each room.
As we have said before, it is worth highlighting its vaults and columns. We consider the visit to El Bañuelo one of the essential experiences when visiting Granada.
