BATHHOUSE, 13th–15th CENTURIES

​   ​In medieval cities, not only residential but also public and cultural facilities were constructed, among which bathhouses played an important role. Archaeological evidence indicates that from the 9th to the 15th centuries, bathhouse construction and hygienic culture in Eastern cities, including Otyrar, were highly developed. 
   Public bathhouses in Otyrar, dating from the 9th to 15th centuries, reflect the development of urban culture during the medieval period and demonstrate that the population adhered to sanitary and hygienic standards. The architectural design and engineering solutions of the bathhouses indicate a high standard of living among the city’s inhabitants. 
   The 13th–15th century bathhouse complex consists of ten rooms, including a changing room, a resting room, and a bukhana (steam room), which served the main functional purposes. In several rooms, the floors were paved with clay tiles decorated with swastika motifs. 
    The bathhouse was heated through the floor. Heat was supplied from a furnace located in the western part of the building and distributed to all rooms through channels under the floor, maintaining a stable internal temperature. 
    Water was supplied to the bathhouse from the city reservoir through underground pipes, while wastewater was removed via the sewage system. Archaeological excavations in the Otyrar rabad identified three such public bathhouses. 
    The first was located in the northwestern part of the shakhristan, close to the defensive walls. 
     The second was situated beneath the 13th–15th century bathhouse complex described above.