Bathroom Architecture in Islamic Medical Texts: the Introduction of Resāle-ye Dallākiyye

Bathroom has been the subject of medicine science in Islamic culture for two reasons: firstly the therapeutic properties of bathroom, and secondly its hygienic principles of constructing and maintenance. Therefore bathroom is the common joint of medicine and architecture. According to traditional Islamic medicine, bathroom should be built on the basis of four main tempers (tab’s): hot, cold, dry, and wet, which adjusts to the temperaments (mezājs) of the four seasons of year, the four phlegm (khelts) of body, and the four periods of human's life. Each bathroom should have four parts, and architecture of each one should be in accordance with one of the four phlegm (khelts). This subject is found in medicine texts among other themes, and the texts talking about bathroom clearly and independently are few. Resāle-ye Dallākiyye (the treatise of tonsorial) is one of these rare texts. Resāle-ye Dallākiyye was written by Mohammad Karim-khān Kermāni, by Karbalāyi Reza Salmāni's request, in the second half of thirteenth century AH. The treatise is a collection of theological thoughts and principles of traditional Islamic medicine. The author talks about the architecture of bathroom in the introduction of the treatise: the four parts of bathroom and their characteristics; that the ceiling of the bathroom should be built high, and the glasses of the openings should be removed occasionally so that it is prevented from air pollution; that no toilet should be built inside the bathroom; and that the bathroom should have tortuous corridors in connection to the outside, so that the exchange of the air with outside gets to the least amount. The edited text of the introduction of Resāle-ye Dallākiyye is attached to the article.