Arab Baths (Banys Àrabs), Palma

The Arab Baths of Palma (Banys Àrabs) are among the most evocative surviving traces of the Islamic city of Medina Mayurqa, the Moorish city that occupied the site of present-day Palma from the early 10th century until the Christian reconquest of 1229. The hammam dates from the late 10th or early 11th century and represents one of the finest examples of Moorish bath architecture surviving in Spain outside Andalusia. The complex consists of two principal chambers: the hot room (caldarium), entered by ducking through a low arched doorway, has an extraordinary domed roof pierced by circular skylights in a pattern reminiscent of a star field, supported by twelve slender columns with carved capitals each uniquely different — the columns themselves are Roman spoliated material, reused from earlier buildings. The original heating system using underfloor hypocausts and wall-channeled steam is partially visible and explained in the bilingual display panels. A cold room (frigidarium) and the remains of a changing room complete the complex. Surrounding the baths, a tranquil walled garden planted with citrus trees, flowering plants, and palms provides one of Palma's most peaceful retreats from the crowds of the historic center. The baths receive far fewer visitors than the Cathedral or Palau de l'Almudaina despite sitting at the heart of the old city, making them one of Palma's most rewarding small museums. The compact size makes them a natural addition to a wider walking tour of Palma's old town.