The Sultan Ibrahim Hammam in Jableh

An old bath house standing in the south-west corner of the courtyard of the mosque of Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham in Jableh. The building dates from the Mamluk period. It was renovated under the Ottomans in the Hijri year 1016, which is 1607, and the plaque recording that work is at the door. From outside you see a plain block of cut stone with a large dome on top, crowned by a small lantern.

Where it is

You reach the hammam through the mosque courtyard. It sits in the south-west corner of the courtyard, north of the Roman theatre and outside the line of the old north wall. The mosque and the theatre are only a few steps apart, so there is no need to ask the way: go into the courtyard and walk to the far corner.

What is inside

The interior is known from photographs taken in 2008, 2010 and 2013, and it follows the classic plan. After the entrance comes the changing hall with its pool, called the barrani. A passage leads to the hot section, the jawwani. At the far end are small private cells. Smaller domes line up beside the main dome, and the light holes in them are what lights the rooms.

Is it open today

That is not known. The building is standing in photographs from 2013, but no recent source says whether the hammam still works as a bath. If you are at the mosque, walking to the corner and looking at the door is the quickest way to find out; if it is open, ask permission before going in.

What most people miss

The renovation plaque at the door. Dated 1607, it is the written evidence that the bath house was already there before the Ottomans. You can see it from outside even if you cannot get in.