Suq Al-Ghazal

Plans and photographs

Typology Major Findings:- - Hammam Suq Al-Ghazal is a typical example of an Algerian hammam of the Ottoman period.
- Unlike the free-standing hammams of Turkey and in line with the public baths of Morocco and Syria and Egypt, hammam Suq Al-Ghazal is adjacent to other buildings, in order to reduce heat loss through the walls.
- In contrast with Turkish and Egyptian hammams, the entrance of the case study is anonymous and does not bear any specific decoration. Existing ceramic tiles around the Gate are a late addition.
- Hammam Suq Al-Ghazal shows a linear layout and preserves the traditional hypocaust heating system.
- A specific characteristic is the presence of a lobby (skiffa) which separates the entrance from the undressing room. This is typical of Algerian hammams.
- Another specific feature is the absence of the warm room in the usual sequence of the bathing spaces.
- Cold and hot rooms are linked by a small intermediate/buffer lobby (SAS).
- The undressing room is typified by the presence of a mezzanine level (sedda) made of a traditional timber structure.
- Hammam Suq Al-Ghazal, as the other Ottoman public baths in Constantine, is also characterized by some unique architectural elements. These include a large projecting basin (burma), usually circular or semicircular in shape, and located directly over the heating source in the hot room; and ingeniously self-locking wooden doors separating the bathing spaces.
- In contrast with the hammams of other Mediterranean regions, the roof of the public baths in Constantine are accessed from separate stairs from both the changing room and the furnace.

Hammam Suq Al-Ghazal is still in function, serving the local community on a daily basis. The practice of going to the hammam is, in fact, still very lively in Constantine, in contrast with other Mediterranean areas. Hammams remain one of the essential urban facilities of Algerian cities, together with the medersa and the mosque. All this leads to the conclusion that a proper restoration of hammam Suq Al-Ghazal, which should assess two important issues related to the inadequate heating system, and to the necessity of making the bath complying to contemporary safety standards, would provide the collectivity with a totally efficient and sustainable structure. Added to this the unused fuel storage space in the furnace has a great potential for the sensitive introduction of new facilities in order to enlarge the clientele and thus promote a more economic and effective public service.