The Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse is one of the finest surviving traditional hammams in Iran, with origins in the Safavid era though substantially rebuilt in the Qajar period. The building's exterior, a cluster of turquoise-tiled domes perforated by star-shaped and circular skylights, is best appreciated from the roof, which you can climb for a view across the domes and over the surrounding old-city roofscape.
Inside, the hammam follows the standard Iranian layout — a domed changing room leading through to the hot and cold bathing chambers — but the quality of the tile work and stucco decoration is exceptional. The skylights filter natural light down into the baths in shifting patterns throughout the day. The bathhouse was in active use until the 1970s; it is now a museum.
The star-shaped skylights covered with coloured glass are the building's most photographed feature, and with good reason — the way they project coloured circles of light onto the marble floors of the bathing chambers is genuinely beautiful.
Hours: Daily 9am–6pm
Admission: Small entrance fee