First-time author Tanvi Maheshwari has written an account of restoring Khist-i-Khopruk hammam in Afghanistan, after it was destroyed by flood. Her book mentions the history, culture and architecture of these bathing places, says Divya Kaushik
The place which was a major meeting point for people, especially women, (who were allowed once a week) of the Afghan village Kholm, lost its glory during the flood in the Kholm river during 2010.
More than a hammam or bathing area, providing villagers easy means to warm water in freezing winter, Khist-i-Khopruk hammam was the place for socialising and entertainment.
Its damage during the flood was a huge loss to villagers. Many lost their source of warm water and most their only chance of meeting others in the community. So the villagers requested the government to restore the historical hammam that was built 165 years ago and was unique in many ways. At a short distance from Khist-i-Khopruk, there’s a 120-year-old palace called Bagh-e-Jahan Nama. And there were plans to restore the palace and turn it into a museum.
The AFRI team (the design and architectural firm with local architects from Kabul), led by Dutch architect Anne Feenstra, was assigned the task to restore the palace.
When the request was made to restore it, the same team was assigned the task. “It was important to restore the hammam before winter, as temperature drops massively and to majority of Kholm village residents, the hammam was the only source of hot water. Anne Feenstra was a visiting faculty in my college of design and architecture and he invited me to be part of the restoration team,” said Tanvi Maheshwari, an author who penned a history, culture and architecture of hammams in Afghanistan in her first book, life of an Afghan Hammam: Ignited Extinguished Rekindled.
“Travelling in Afghanistan, I was struck by the resilience of people affected by conflict and disaster. The story of hammam Khist-i-Khopruk illustrates the significance of rescuing cultural heritage, while rebuilding the community affected by disaster and conflict,” she added.
The flood occurred during May 2010. And in September, they were granted funds by the government to restore the hammam. “There is a Cultural Emergency Response Fund maintained for cultural artefacts. There was no obstruction in the form of objections from any group or social elements because everyone knew the hammam has the social, historical and cultural relevance,” said Tanvi.
She added that locals came in full force to help with restoration.
“We did not tamper with the material or architecture, because we knew what existed originally was time-tested. Bricks of a certain size were used and we got a local kiln to manufacture the same sort of bricks. We were using lime plaster and told by a focal artist that adding ash to it was helpful. We confirmed this from government officials who told us that architecture in Afghanistan uses ash mixed with lime plaster. So you will notice a little grey shade to the hammam,” she said.
Hammams, she said, are an important part of Islamic countries and each country has different architecture. Most Afghan hammams were inspired by Uzbeki architecture.
“As you travel to Kholm from Kabul, you first see flat roofs, then domed underground structures.
Most hammams have an underground heating system. And in Afghanistan, they don’t have a pool, but water tanks heated by fire. The smoke travels to different rooms and areas lending heat. So hammams emerge as community centres, as they’re warmer than outside temperature. Due to humidity, because of hot water and smoke, temperature of rooms inside is high and you sweat inside, even when it is frozen outside,” shared the author.
Research for Khist-i-Khopruk was difficult part, because not many historical records were available.
“There was hardly anything in the libraries of Kabul, except a few travelogues and regular info. I was curious about what the place was like before it was destroyed by flood,” said the author, who looked out for local people for more info on the hammam.