Built in the Safavid period, this courtyard is home to what was once Kerman’s most important hammam , the Hamam-e Ganj Ali Khan , now restored and transformed into a museum. Wonderful frescoes adorn the walls and wax dummies illustrate the workings of a traditional bathhouse. The reception area, for example, was divided so men practising different trades could all disrobe together. Look for the ‘time stones’ at the east and west ends of the hammam; translucent, 10cm-thick alabaster doorways through which bathers could get a rough idea of the time according to how light it was outside.
