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The Hammams of Nicosia, CyprusEuphrosyne RIZOPOULOU-EGOUMENIDOUUniv. of Cyprus, Department of History and Archaeology - CHYPREType de contribution : communication courteThe three centuries-long period of Ottoman rule (1571-1878) left its imprint in Cyprus, especially in the urban centres. Hammams were typical features of cities throughout the Ottoman Empire. Steam bath-houses with an under-floor heating system, were known since Roman times and examples from the Roman and later periods were also found in Cyprus.This paper will focus on the hammams which are preserved in Nicosia, the capital of the island, from the time of the Ottoman rule. According to the Archduke of Austria, Louis Salvator, in the 1870s there were eight hammams in Nicosia. Two of them belonged to the Government and the rest were private property. The paper will present typical examples of both public and private hammams, their function, the clothing and other accessories used in baths, but also their social aspect, as they combined hygiene and entertainment. Furthermore, an attempt will be made to compare the traditional use of hammams with the contemporary services offered today in the Omeriye Hammam - the only hammam that has continued functioning in the free part of Nicosia and has recently been restored.