Yeni Hamam

Yeni Hamam in Thessaloniki.

The Yeni Hamam (Greek: Γενί Χαμάμ, meaning "new hamam" in Turkish) is a building dating to the Ottoman period in Thessaloniki, Greece. It was apparently built in the last quarter of the sixteenth century by Khusref Kenkhuda, a property owner in Thessaloniki who probably served as Kehaya (administrator) for the Vizier Sokolou Mehmet Pasha. It functioned as a double bathhouse with separate compartments for men and women, with the usual layout of rooms.[1] Today it is located at the corner of today's Kassandros and Agios Nikolaos streets.

History

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The building ceased to function as public baths following the annexation of Thessaloniki by the kingdom of Greece in 1912, unlike the other hamams in the city which remained open.[2] In 1919 it became property of the Greek public, util 1937 when it was bought by a private person who used it as a warehouse.

For many years, a winter cinema operated inside the hamam until the mid-80s, while a summer cinema also operated in its garden. There the organizaztion parallaxi organized movie marathons during summer in the mid-nineties. Soon after that it opened as a tavern called "Seville".

For a large period it functioned as a concert hall in which many Greek musicians and singers performed. Today it remains in private ownership and is used as a café bar and restaurant with the name "Aegle Yeni Hamam".[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Βυζαντινά και Μεταβυζαντινά Μνημεία της Θεσσαλονίκης, Rekos, D. Nalpantes, Thessaloniki 1997, p.146
  2. ^ Θεσσαλονίκης Εγκόλπιον, Εξάντας, Χ. Ζαφείρης, Αθήνα 1997, p.136
  3. ^ See ex.1


40°38′21″N 22°56′54″E / 40.63917°N 22.94833°E / 40.63917; 22.94833