The hammam has its origins in the bath houses of the Roman Empire, from where it travelled to Asia Minor and soon came to be known as the Turkish Bath, where it came to be known as hammam. Though these came to be associated with the Ottoman period, the first is said to have been constructed under the Ummayads (661-750 CE).

The hammams were initially built in the palaces, where it developed into a major institution within the harem where important political discussions were held. Other than these there were public bath houses built under  royal patronage or as part of an endownment (wakf) for caravanserai, mosques, and khanqahs. Soon these were also built in homes of the wealthy.

In Kashmir it is said to have been introduced by Mirza Haider Dughlat (1551 CE), though some believe it was brought to Kashmir by Zain-ul-Abidn (1420-1470 CE).

In Kashmir the hammam was first introduced in two khanqahs – Khanqah-i -Maula, Srinagar and Khanqah-i-Noorbakshiya at Zadibal.

The earliest evidence of a Mughal hammam in Kashmir dates back to the 17th century, as a part of the buildings constructed by Jahangir (1569-1627 CE) in the Shalimar Bagh, recently conserved by INTACH Kashmir chapter. Another one from Jahangir’s time is located at Achbal. The last three surviving from the Mughal times are from during the time of Dara Shikoh (1615-1659 CE): Hammam in the Mulla Shah Mosque complex, Kathi Darwaza, Pari Mahal, Srinagar and Mulla Shah Mosque in Ganderbal. In the Pather Masjid it was constructed during the rule of Aurangzeb by Fazil Khan (1697).

The Mughal hammams were based on three functional units: rakht khana (dressing room), sard khana (cold room), and a garm khana (hot room).

Over a period of time the hammam became a regular feature of the traditional architecture of Kashmir. These would usually consist of a single room with attached small cubicle for bath.  Functionally, hammam is a room within a home in which the sub-floor is hollow and is comprised of a wood-fired furnace to generate heat which is conducted through the floor, warming the space and occupants. Trained Kashmiri artisans construct and maintain the hammam according to longstanding traditions. The hammam is one of several traditional means that Kashmiris use for space and self heating during the winter season.

The hammam  room is constructed with thick, hand-hewn rectangular slabs of limestone  laid over a hollowed-out floor. Columns of brick support the slabs at the joints, which are sealed with cement. Each slab, sculpted from blocks of rock extracted from a quarry on the outskirts of Srinagar, stands on a single pillar of rough-hewn stone especially quarried in Baramulla district. The inside walls of the hammam are lined with bricks sealed with lime mortar. The floor is strewn with sand, bits of glass and boulders, to absorb and retain heat. Firewood is placed in the hammam through a small iron door. The smoke escapes through a chimney that goes right up to the roof, through all levels of the house. Another use of the hammam is as a source of the burning embers that fire kangris to keep people warm outdoors. For the arthritic elderly, a hammam is considered beneficial.

The hammam has advantages over other forms of heating.  A 10 ft x 14 ft hammam costs Rs 1.20 lakh to 1.40 lakh to build; firewood for three months of harsh cold would cost another Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. In contrast, a homeowner would have to shell out up to Rs. 10 lakh to install central heating, depending on the number of rooms. Gas heaters and coal bukharis are polluting, electricity is scarce, and the kangri only warms up an individual.

Two types of hammams made in Saderkoot and Pantha Chowk of Devri stones used to be initially constructed in Kashmir, but those were discontinued after the closure of stone quarries. The stones, from which hammams are constructed at present in Kashmir, are brought from Rajasthan.  Besides the conventional hammams, an electric hammam is currently popular in Kashmir and is made by laying of coils beneath a thin concrete slab to keep the floor warm by using electricity. This type of hammam is not used in mosques where traditional hammams are made to keep the ablution-water hot which is stored in a tank-like concrete structure contiguous to the hammam room.