TEHRAN—An Afsharid era (1736-1748) public bathhouse in the historical village of Vafs, the central province of Markazi, has undergone some rehabilitation works, a local tourism chief has said.

The historical structure has been abandoned for years and has been used as a warehouse and required restoration, Saeid Niknam explained on Saturday.

This phase of the restoration project involves repairing the rooftop and exterior walls, the official added.

A budget of 800 million rials ($2,700) has been allocated to the project, he mentioned.

However, the bathhouse will need other rounds of restoration in the future, he noted.

It has been decided to turn the bathhouse into a cultural heritage center after being fully restored, he stated.

Bathhouses or ‘hammams’ in Iran were not only places for bathing and cleaning up. They had a social concept for people who gathered at these places weekly.

It was a place where people talked with each other about their daily life and shared humor and news. There are still bathhouses in Iranian cities, but they do not have their social function anymore since most people have bathrooms in their homes due to the modern lifestyle.

Some cities had separate bathhouses for men and women. They were usually built next to each other. However, there were some bathhouses, which were used by men and women at different times of the day.

Persian literature is full of proverbs, narrations, and folk stories about bathhouses, which indicate the importance of the place in the pastime.

Markazi province is considered the industrial capital of the country. It is rich in natural, historical, cultural, and religious attractions.

Hand-woven carpets and kilims, made in its cities, including Farahan, Sarugh, Lilivan, Senejan, and Vafs, are known internationally.

ABU/AM