Hammams are traditional community bath houses that have served as a communal exchange points for centuries. Prevalent in numerous cultures around the globe, it had be a bit daunting for the native western thinker.
Accustomed to the intimate act of bathing alone I will admit that the idea of stripping down in front of a bunch of strangers was anything but thrilling. Overcoming my insecurities to partake in this tradition I proceeded with caution but finally succumbed to curiousity and entered an unknown world.
When in Rome… right?
Okay, so this certainly wasn’t Rome, but the experience was none-the-less unforgettable and surprising enjoyable. I will say that I am now the cleanest I have probably ever been in my life thanks to help from some older and wiser women who were present. Did I mention that bathing in a hammam is a communal experience!
Without giving away all the details because I think the only way to truly understand an event such as this is to experience it yourself, this is basically how it goes down…
-You walk in your respective door (guys and girls are separated!).
-Hand your money over
-Strip down and stow away your belongings
-Grab a bucket and head through a series of three rooms with each one growing in intensity of heat
-In the final room there are two pools of water, one scalding hot and the other freezing cold
-Through a mixing process your desired water temperature is created, then its back to the second room to grab a patch of tile and the splashing and scrubbing commences.
Serving not only as an opportunity to wash the dust of the streets off, Hammams also act as gossip central where family updates, the latest news and tabloid worthy stories are exchanged.
*please note picture is not mine, but representative of the experience
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