Abanotubani
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Abanotubani ( Georgian აბანოთუბანი ; from abano "bath" and ubani "district") is the bathing district in the old town of the Georgian capital Tbilisi .
location
In Akhundov Street is located Bebutow bath next to a public bathhouse in the 18th century. On the right bank of the river Zawkissis-zkali is the Sumbati bath . One of the most famous baths is the Königsbad (Georgian Samepo Abano ), where separate bathing rooms can be rented from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. The Orbeliani bath (Georgian Orbelianis Abano ) with the facade of a Persian madrasa , built in 1893, is also popular , which is why it is also called Tschrelio albano (colored bath). The Irakli bath reaches right up to the fortress wall, it is also the oldest bath in Tbilisi.
history
In the 13th century there were around 65 sulfur baths in the spa district. The hot sulfur springs below the city have been used there for over 700 years. The quarter is also home to many non-Georgian ethnic groups, so the Sejdabad is reminiscent of a group of Sejids who immigrated from Persia and settled at the sulfur springs in the 17th century. In the 19th century the district name Kharpuchi became common.
Today seven or eight bathrooms are still in use. The oldest of these date from the first half of the 17th century. They were built from brick in the Persian style and have hemispherical domes . The bathrooms are below the ground and receive daylight from the domes. The halls in the center of the bathhouses were clad in marble as representative buildings. There are often narrow seating niches above the pools and benches have been placed on the edge. The baths were not only a place to relax, but also a place for the city dwellers to exchange news and opinions. Tuesday and Wednesday were reserved for women; the visitors mostly showed off their latest wardrobe. The marriage brokers, also known in Georgia, used these opportunities to show the bride. Alexandre Dumas visited the baths in 1859 and felt a strong sense of freedom and well-being there . After the independence of Georgia, many baths were privatized and the bathing tradition took off again.
description
A Georgian-style bath includes an in-depth massage on a stone slab. The masseur works the back, arms and legs, stands on his back, runs up and down the spine. He removes old skin with a horsehair glove. There is a shower between the massage courses and at the end there is strong warm water pouring out of buckets.
The baths are fed by hot, carbonated mineral water. The water has a temperature between 37 ° C and 47 ° C. It is slightly mineralized (0.3-0.4 g / l) containing hydrocarbon -, hydrogen sulfide -, chlorine -, and sodium ion that are particularly well in bone disorders such as osteoporosis , neurological disorders, urological problems and skin diseases such as psoriasis or eczema act .
The Balneological Institute
Since the 1940s, the Tbilisi Balneological Spa Administration (Georgian Tbilisis Balneologiuri Kurorti ) has been running an institute for health resorts and physiotherapy , a hydrotherapy center and a mud therapy center on Gorgassalistraße . The spa director is the father of the Georgian President, Nikolo Saakashvili. A treatment consists of 14 to 16 applications under the supervision of a spa doctor, during which the patients take 15-minute baths. Relief should be noticeable after just five to six applications.
literature
- Public baths in Tbilisi . In: Das Auslands, 1828, No. 13, pp. 49–50 (available online at Wikisource )
- Tsizishvili, Irakli: Tbilisi - Architectural Monuments and Art Museums . Aurora, Leningrad 1985, p. 38-39, 75-81 .
Web links
- Victoria Gujelashvili: Warmth in the Heart of Tbilisi (en)
- Michael Wines: Malodorous, but healing for the mind (s)
Coordinates: 41 ° 41 ′ 16 ″ N , 44 ° 48 ′ 40 ″ E