Turaif Hammam

Turaif Hammam is an ancient steam bath, now referred to as a "sauna," situated in Diriyah, northwest of Riyadh City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was constructed in the seventeenth century, during the period when Diriyah served as the capital of the First Saudi State.

The Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums, affiliated with the Ministry of Knowledge (now the Ministry of Education), uncovered Turaif Hammam at a site overlooking a small valley south of Turaif District. This was a residential neighborhood for the imams and princes of Al Saud during the era of the First Saudi State, in the early reign of Imam Saud Bin Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Bin Saud, the third imam of the state.

Turaif District was designed with residential units for state guests, both from within and outside the Kingdom, to promote cleanliness and enhance vitality and energy. The Hammam (bath)’s design mirrors the architectural style of Islamic and Eastern baths, particularly those found in the Levant, which were influenced by Greek and Roman architectural traditions.

Turaif Hammam consists of square rooms with smooth walls and floors, connected by terraces and corridors. The rooms are arranged from cold to warm, then hot, to ensure the user can move between different temperatures without discomfort or harm.

The hot room is the central feature of the Hammam. It has a domed ceiling and is heated by a furnace with three arches. This is where bathers can enjoy a steam bath, massages, and relaxation, all while exposed to steam produced by water heated over a wood fire. Additional heat is generated through clay pipes that carry the smoke from the burning wood outside the room beneath the dome. There is also a changing room, which includes compartments for bathers to store their belongings. In this room, bathers can sit and acclimate their bodies to the temperature outside the Hammam.

At the entrance of Turaif Hammam, an open courtyard spans one thousand m², enclosed by a four-m-high wall. To the east of the courtyard is a door that leads to the main entrance, shared by the Hammam and its associated rooms. A small stone basin, situated on the western side of the main water tank, was designated for washing the clothes of bathers.

Turaif Hammam is supplied with water from a tank located outside the building, sourced from a well at the bottom of the valley. The well features an oval nozzle, which channels water to the Hammam and its associated rooms, transported by animals along a paved path carved into the natural rock on the northern side of the plateau, connecting to the Hammam's western entrance. Water flows through channels carved into the rock, assisted by the natural slope, directing it from north to south toward the Hammam's floors and associated rooms.