Sofia, Aug 16 (BTA/GNA) – The culture of using mineral baths in Bulgaria is experiencing a revival, even though almost two generations in Sofia have grown up without this tradition.
It is gradually finding its place in people’s daily lives, with interest increasing alongside the growing demand for wellness and balneological services, Ivaylo Zahariev from the Bulgarian Association for Thermal Heritage said in an interview with BTA. “The baths of Bulgaria are not a thing of the past; they are part of our cultural heritage,” Zahariev added.
Assoc. Prof. Violeta Kotseva, head of the Department of Ethnology at St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, told BTA that a more complete picture of public baths across Bulgarian lands can be outlined for the Ottoman and Revival periods. The mass construction of public baths in Bulgarian lands coincides with the Ottoman period, a process facilitated by the many natural hot mineral springs, the scholar added.
After the 16th century, almost every settlement in Bulgaria built a hammam, especially where there was a concentrated Muslim population, Kotseva explained. People would spend the whole day at the bath, with food brought along; women would prepare from the morning.
Some authors even describe the hammam as the Bulgarian women’s Revival-era café, at a time when public establishments were not accessible to them. “In those periods, hygiene was more a cultural practice than a daily routine and had no direct link to health,” Kotseva noted.
The tradition of visiting public baths gradually declined with the introduction of bathrooms in homes and the expansion of water and sewage systems, Kotseva explained further. After the establishment of the Communist regime, a modernization policy led to the construction of public baths in many settlements.
The tradition of saying “happy bath” gradually gained civic use and today is mostly a humorous expression. Kotseva noted that it is often associated with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who was known to have a poor view of the Balkans, especially Bulgaria.
Nevertheless, the expression’s popularity reflects traditional domestic practices, she emphasized. For Bulgarians, going to the bath was an entire event – a day perceived as a holiday, free of work, when one could rest.
Today, about 125 public mineral baths operate in Bulgaria, according to data from the Bulgarian Mineral Baths Association presented by Zahariev. Most are in Southern Bulgaria due to the abundance of mineral springs.
GNA/BTA