The Almirante Muslim Baths

Closed for renovation 

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Can you imagine a beautiful enclosure, made solely and exclusively for you to relax and enjoy? In a warm environment, where the steam cradles you while the light from daytime stars shines on you. Well, that is what the inhabitants of Valencia experienced in the Middle Ages and centuries that followed. If you visit the Baños del Almirante, you will know how they felt in this valuable example of a medieval steam bath, or hammâm, facility. It is the ideal place to enjoy an experience closely linked to the legacy from the time of the Arab Balansiya.

Although it belongs to the Arab tradition, introduced in Valencia and throughout the peninsula by the Islamic influence on its customs, it was built long after the conquest of the city in the 13th century. In particular, it reflected the need to offer this type of service, which was very popular at the time, during the reign of Jaume II. Its building license was granted in 1313 to the knight and jurist Pere de Vila-rasa, who completed the work in 1320. Since then, it remained in use, practically uninterrupted, until the 20th century, when it reached the height of its popularity. It was visited by both men and women, although on different days and times. Although throughout its long existence it underwent a series of structural changes, the acquisition by the Valencian regional government in 1985 and its subsequent refurbishment have restored its original appearance. It consists, in essence, of a lobby and three vaulted rooms with skylights in the form of eight-point stars sealed with pieces of glass, elements that allowed natural light to enter while keeping the complex thermally insulated.

The bathers started out in the cold room, the only one that preserves remains of medieval pavement, where they gathered water. They would then go to the warm room to lather with soap and rinse off. But the main course came in the hot room, which relied on the adjoining oven that generated the boiling water. As if by magic, the high-temperature air produced by the boiler fire expanded through a low-ceiling chamber, called a hypocaust, located under the hot room. The steam was created by dumping the buckets of cold water on the floor. Quite the delight for body and mind!