Ancient Egyptians are renowned for their sense of cleanliness and hygiene, and bathhouses for therapeutic purposes have been found dating as far back as 2000 BC. In a brand-new discovery, archaeologists have discovered a 2,200 year-old bathhouse dating to the second half of the 3rd century BC in the ancient town of Berenice by the Red Sea.
The massive bathhouse consisted of two circular structures, called tholois, with fourteen bath tubs, which were fed water by two large water reservoirs connected to a well. The structure had access to both lukewarm and cold water, as well as a separate room for hot baths. Giovanni Battista Belzoni, a prolific 19th century Italian explorer and pioneer wrote of the multiple watering stations and resting places for caravans and travelers, alluding to the region’s water capabilities, which lasted into modern history.
Additionally, according to Marek Woźniak, assistant professor at the Polish Academy of Science’s Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures, a gymnasium was also possibly built to the west of the structure. She told Live Science via email that the entire structure was probably designed for the military stationed in the region, which was once populated by indigenous cave dwellers known as Troglodytai. Professor Woźniak specializes in researching remains from Berenice dating to ancient Egypt’s Hellenistic period , circa 323 BC to 30 BC, roughly coinciding with the deaths of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra VII. This was the peak of Greek architectural and social influence in the Mediterranean area of North Africa and Western Asia.
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