Saed News: During the Qajar era, the bathhouse was not just a place for washing; it was a place for meetings, conversations, resolving women's disputes, and even choosing future brides. A warm public space full of stories behind closed doors.
According to the History Service of Saed News, quoting from Cafe Tarikh, the bathhouses of the Qajar era, alongside places such as mosques, bazaars, and coffeehouses, were considered public spaces; in such places, people had the opportunity to socialize with each other. The bathhouse was a chance to meet friends and get news from them. One excuse women could find to leave the house was going to the bathhouse. Many times, they would arrange group visits to the bathhouse together. In fact, women of that time could leave home for reasons such as going to the bathhouse, visiting friends and acquaintances, attending weddings and birthdays, visiting shrines, and so forth.
Since women’s bathing rituals often lasted hours and sometimes up to half a day, they had plenty of time to talk about various matters and exchange news. Women even took their marital disputes to the bathhouse, turning it into a kind of women’s court where the elders (known as “grey-haired women”) presided and resolved conflicts. Public bathhouses also played an effective role in forming connections among families. Especially, it was a good opportunity to become more acquainted with young unmarried women and observe them carefully.
One travel writer of that era described daily life in Tehran as follows: “The middle class people are almost always on the move. At the start of the day, they go to the bazaar to meet acquaintances and have breakfast with them. From this time until noon, they go to the bathhouse to get the latest news or visit their friends.”
Source: Joseph Arthur Gobineau, Three Years in Asia, translated by Abdolreza Houshang Mahdavi, Tehran: Ghatreh, 2004, p. 221
