A History of Bathhouses and Bathrooms

Here at Restroom Stalls and All, we have been in the bathroom partition and accessories business for a while now. In that time, we have learned a thing or two about bathrooms. It is actually something taken for granted, as much of the world still functions without running water, including some areas in the United States. So how did people used to cope without the modern bathroom marvels we enjoy today? Here is a quick history of bathrooms throughout history.

Pre-historic Baths

The first evidence of baths date all the way back to around 3,000 BC. Many cultures at this time considered water to have important religious value, and so the custom of cleansing before entering a sacred area or performing a sacred ritual was common. These bathhouses that have been excavated were placed away from the village proper, and were generally communal.

However, people did not go to the bathroom in these bathhouses, that was done in a separate location from both their home and bath house.

Greek/Roman Baths

The Romans use of bath houses and bathrooms is well documented. They created big thermal baths which were heavily integrated into the social norms of the culture. Even though it wasn't uncommon for wealthy to have their own bathhouses, they would still commingle with others in public bathhouses.

Public bathhouses were also common in Greece, and had a similar religious importance. In fact, Greek literature is filled with examples of bathing as a sacred right, like Achilles getting his invincibility from his mother bathing him.

The Middle East

The Roman Empire extended all the way into Northern Africa, where the idea of a public bath made its way to the Middle East. There, a public bath was called a hammam. The oldest extant hammam was found in Syria, and dates all the way back to the 12th century.  At their height, there were 60,000 bathhouses located in the city of Baghdad alone according to the authors of the time.

Western Baths

In middle age England, steam baths were the preferred method of bathing. Many social activities took place in these bathhouses, colloquially referred to as "stews". At the time, both women and men were allowed in the bathhouses as well, although women may have been forced to cover their hair for decency. However, the popularity of the bath house wouldn't last forever. When the bubonic plague hit, a belief that bathing spread disease took hold and bathhouses largely went away.

You might have noticed that none of these entries included any bathrooms. That's because the bathroom as we know it didn't exist until relatively recently. It wasn't until urbanization came around that privacy and necessity dictated the creation of the modern bathroom. They did have outhouses, porcelain pots, and other devices throughout history to relieve themselves, though.

Hopefully you found this interesting. If you need bathroom partitions or bathroom accessories for the modern age, you're in the right place. We have everything you need to fully stock your bathroom. Give us a call if you have any questions about our product or delivery.