Hello to all tourists.
Hello to @worldmappin.
I hope you are well.
Following the beautiful trips I had to the city of Shirvan, I am going to post photos of unique places for you.
Today, I also want to share one of the old baths of Shirvan.
The historical bath of the village of Pir Shahid in the city of Shirvan is one of the old and valuable buildings of Shirvan, dating back to the Qajar era. It is a public bath with traditional Iranian architecture that is both visually appealing and has interesting stories behind it.
The warm and intimate atmosphere of those times, the sound of water, warm steam, and the conversations of people all flowed within these clay walls. This place was not just a place for cleanliness; in a way, it was also a social center of the neighborhood!
Now that its function is no longer like the past, it has turned into a historical and cultural artifact so that we can understand how people lived in the past, how they communicated with each other, and how much they valued the culture of cleanliness, architecture, and togetherness.
The first thing that catches the eye is the low entrance that you see in the first photo. When I asked the locals, they told me that it was because when entering, people unconsciously lowered their heads, which was a sign of respect for the space and the people inside the bath.
It was very interesting to me.
After the entrance, we arrive at the vestibule. This is the place where people would take off their clothes and get ready to go to the warmer areas. The dome-shaped ceiling, the skylights covered with convex glass, and the gentle air inside were very interesting to me.
After the vestibule, we enter the intermediate space, a corridor or central area that played the role of temperature moderation, meaning it prevented the cold air outside from suddenly mixing with the warm air inside.
And finally, we arrive at the hot room. This is the heart of the bathhouse, which in its time was full of steam, warm water, and the pleasant sound of flowing water. In this section, people would sit, wash their bodies, use scrubbing mitts, sometimes get cupping done, and even have long chats about life and...!
At the far end, there was a hot water pool, which was either heated with firewood or with an underground heating system, which was called a "golkhan." This simple yet smart system ensured that the bathhouse was warm even on the coldest winter days.
Considering the limited facilities, they used their minds more.
Another interesting point is that the architecture of the bathhouse was designed to both maintain temperature and keep humidity balanced. The use of brick, lime, mortar, and special mixtures in the construction of the walls ensured that this stability was preserved for years.
And in the end, what I asked the locals there was that this bath was not just a simple place for washing. This was a place where weddings, traditional ceremonies, men's conversations, and even sometimes reconciliations were held! In a way, it can be said that the bath was the beating heart of the local culture.
And the name Pir Shahid also comes from the same Imamzadeh that was located near this bath, and people had a special belief in it.
If you want to know exactly where this bath is, we need to go to the heart of the old texture of the city of Shirvan, in North Khorasan province.
The historical bath of Pir Shahid is located right next to the Imamzadeh Pir Shahid; that is, in a historical and spiritual area that has a long history and has been respected by the people since ancient times.
If one day you find yourself in Shirvan and enter from the main route of the city, you just need to head southeast of the city, around Pir Shahid Street or the old neighborhoods around it. There, the signs or even the people themselves will easily guide you because everyone knows this building.
The location of the bath has been chosen wisely; it is both in the center of the neighborhood so that people have easy access, and next to the Imamzadeh, which has given a kind of spiritual and cultural combination to the space. In a way, it can be said that back in those days, people came to the bath for both physical purity and spiritual purity with the pilgrimage next to it.
Now, this area is recognized as one of the historical tourist spots of the city. Its proximity to other attractions like the old bazaar or other historical sites has made visiting it very easy and attractive.
And many tourists always come here.
Well friends, this is our short and delightful trip to the heart of history, to the historical bath of Pir Shahid in Shirvan. A place that still smelled of old memories.
I hope that if one day you pass by Shirvan, you definitely visit this beloved monument and experience it up close.
Take care of yourselves and I wish you good days and times.
For now, goodbye!
Text & photography : @azamsohrabi