In Vrhbosna, a small village situated at the bootom of Vratnik fortress, Gazi Isa Bey Ishakovic, raised in 1462 his Saraj (palace), and founded the Waqf, around which later on šeher Sarajevo city was developed.

West of the Mosque, which was built in the name of Sultan Mehmed II Fatih, Isa-bey built the hammam – public bathroom. Isa-beys or Emperors hammam was the first public spa in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was built after the fall of Roman Empire, and the disappearence of luxury spas.

Isa bey Hammam and Imperial Mosque

The original hammam did not have dome roof like ones built later, but wooden rood covered wiht shingle. Modest building made of stone and caly bricks, had female and male part, and later was added the third part with a pool, for a needs of Sarajevo Sepharidc Jews.

Both parts have had fountains (lonuge – wardrobe), mejdan (lobby), halvats (hot bathrooms), kapaluk (place to rest after bath), haznu (water reservoir) and ćulhan (boilers). Hamma in 1810 was completely burned in the fire and was thoroughly restored soon. After restoration, it is used maily by military forces, when in 1887 Bistrica river raised to unimagined scale, and the foundations and hammam were totally destroyed. At the time of disaster, hammam tenant Mujaga Hamamdžić, asked the Waqf to renew the hammam, what was done in 1891, when it was made as the structure in pseudo-Moorish style.

Isa bey Hammam, present day

For the desing was in charge Josip Vancaš, who had designed the most modern public bathroom in the country at the time, called Isa-bey hammam. The new building had men’s and women’s rooms, and mikva – small pool for religious Jews needs. After the departure of Austro-Hungarian authorities, Hammam has lost it purpose and turned into warehouse. After WWII, the rich pseudo-Moorish façade was removed and inside was placed new company, “Higijena”.

During the siege of Sarajevo, the building was damaged by the shelling very much.

The old custom was that men would come to hammam before work, and women before men return home to be greeted neat and fragrant. Hammam were initially visited by richer citizens, and later those who did not have bath at home.

The poor are able to have baths for free only on the special occasions, such as weddings.