Pahneh Bathhouse

🕰️When was it built?

The bathhouse was built in 856 AH (1452–1453), during the Timurid period, on the orders of Khwaja Ghiyath al-Din Bahram Semnani. It was repaired and rebuilt in the Qajar period and nationally listed in 1974 under number 1022. Following further restoration, it became a local archaeology and ethnography museum in 1994.

🏛️What was it built for?

The building belonged to the endowments of the Jameh Mosque and provided public washing facilities. It had separate entrances for men and women and covers about 1,000 square metres. Conversion to a museum gave the old spaces a new purpose. The building itself is part of the attraction.

👀What you will see

• The gateway is covered in tilework, with verses in Nastaliq calligraphy above it.
• The tiled inscription at the men's entrance has white lettering on a dark blue ground.
• A lion-and-sun motif in yellow tiles appears in the 2 spandrels above the entrance.
• Tiled images of 2 Qajar soldiers flank the doorway. Look at their clothing and poses.
• The tilework includes the name Zeyn al-Abedin Semnan and the number 1330. Examine the lettering without touching it.

🎒Good to know before you go

• Before going in, step back a few paces to see the gateway tiles and both sides of the door together.