Hammam As-Sarah

Located 2 km west of Qasr Al-Hallabat, Hammam As-Sarah is a bath complex that served visitors to Al-Hallabat. The building is smaller than the Amra baths and has been partially restored. Its design, like Amra, is composed of three main parts: the Audience Hall, the Bath Complex, and the Water System.

The Audience Hall features three tunnel vaults that rest on the sidewall and two intermediate transverse arches. A fountain once existed in the northeastern corner of the hall, which received water from an elevated tank to the east. The bath proper consists of three rooms corresponding to the cold, warm, and hot rooms.

Similar to the audience hall at Qasr Amra, an alcove leads into two small side rooms, each of which incorporates three narrow windows. The entrance to the bath area is through a doorway in the northern corner of the hall. This leads to the apodyterium (changing room), which then leads to the tepidarium (heated room) on the right.

Directly across from this entrance, another passageway leads to a small bay. The caldarium is accessed from the northeast side of the tepidarium and includes two semicircular niches, each featuring a central window that flanks the main domed area. Once adorned with marble, mosaics, and frescoes, these elements are currently undergoing restoration.

The water system consists of a well, tank, and turning circle for the animal to raise the water. Nearby, there are remains of a late Ottoman mosque. The building suffered severe damage in the 1950s when it was stripped of its stones. However, it has since been restored, and visitors can see many of its features. There is no visitor’s center, so visitors should park across the entrance to the complex and push the gate if it is closed.

Hammam As-Sarah is an important monument built during the early Islamic period, showcasing many Islamic building features used in that era. It is attributed to the caliphate of Al-Walid bin Abed al-Malik (705-715), similar to the bath complex of Qasr Amra. Although the bath underwent a drastic transformation during the Abbasid period, the apodyterium and the frigidarium were still used. The building was discovered by Butler in 1905 and later described, photographed, and surveyed by Creswell in 1926. It was well preserved until the 1950s but was heavily damaged due to looting. Excavation and restoration efforts by the Department of Antiquities in 1974-1975 prevented complete ruin, although some elements were not fully restored.