What is a Hammam?
A Hammam is more than just a place to get clean. It is where men socialize at the end of the work day. It is a place where women escape their isolated homebound duties and chat with friends. More practically, it is the place where people whose homes don’t have sufficient running water can bath easily. The Moroccan tradition of public bathing has its origins with the Romans, and is likely the oldest surviving bath tradition in the world. Interestingly, it is a tradition that is reviving.
The Hammam ritual starts with getting dirty – or, to be precise, covering the body in clay extracted from the Atlas Mountains. After rinsing clay and impurities away, soap made from olive oil and eucalyptus is applied to clean and soften the skin in preparation for a scrub. After the scrub, which is quite rigorous and may include skin scraping, fragrant rose water is applied to soothe. Finally, argan, rose or orange oil is applied to moisturize. During these steps, bathers move between rooms of varying temperatures, which facilitate each process by opening or closing the pores.
Travelers to Morocco can best experience a Hammam by staying at a riad (boutique guesthouse) that has a hammam attached; a convenient way to combine accommodation with a traditional and unforgettable experience.
Although Moroccan people are comfortable being naked in the segregated hammams, travelers often prefer to wear a swimsuit bottom.
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