A hammam is a public bathhouse that has been a part of the social cloth of Morocco for hundreds of years. It’s a place to calm down and socialize whereas on the identical time cleanse and purify the thoughts, physique and spirit. Moroccan hammams are important within the tradition of Morocco.
Historically, hammams had been an necessary a part of individuals’s weekly routines the place they may meet up with family and friends, do enterprise and simply plain calm down. Older hammams have two separate entrances for ladies and men. They’re additionally positioned close to previous mosques as individuals of Muslim religion comply with Islamic legal guidelines of hygiene and purification.
Traditionally, a hammam was additionally a spot the place ladies would collect with household and mates earlier than a marriage to rejoice the bride or after the beginning of a kid. It’s possible you’ll even be shocked what different info about Morocco tradition you might uncover in your go to.
Conventional hammams can be found in each metropolis all through Morocco. In Casablanca and Marrakech, you will discover genuine hammams with a contemporary aptitude that even permit {couples} to get pleasure from collectively. After your Sahara Desert Tour, you’ll be glad you handled your self to essentially the most genuine luxurious in Morocco, a day spent on the hammam.
The Ritual of the Hammam
A hammam expertise goes past sweating all of it out in a scorching and steamy room. Plan to offer your self loads of time to let go and luxuriate in, not less than two to a few hours to expertise the total advantages.
There’s a whole ritual with a view to obtain all the advantages a hammam has to supply. Conventional Moroccan hammams have three rooms: a dry warmth room, a heat room, and a cool room. All three rooms have three completely different temperatures.
First is the dry, scorching room to adapt the physique to the warmth, open the pores, and begin to calm down the thoughts.
Subsequent, it’s on to the new steam room the place you’ll be able to actually start to let go of your stress as you sweat out pores and skin impurities and toxins. Right here, you’ll scrub away your lifeless pores and skin with the notorious Moroccan black cleaning soap, savon beldi, utilizing a kessa (an exfoliating glove) or you’ll be able to rent an attendant to do the job for you. That is the room with the big marble slab that you simply lay upon to obtain a full physique scrub down. After a correct exfoliation, it’s time to rinse off with heat water a number of occasions to rid the physique of all of the lifeless pores and skin cells. Some hammams have a pool with cool water to reawaken the physique.
As soon as the scrubbing and rinsing are over, it’s time to enterprise into the cool room to rehydrate and drink mint tea. That is additionally a good time to only lounge round, calm down or share tales concerning the camel tour you took across the desert in Morocco.
Moroccan Hammam Pores and skin and Magnificence Therapies
Moroccan Black Cleaning soap (savon beldi)
This iconic black cleaning soap, savon beldi, is a vital of the Moroccan hammam. It has anti-bacterial properties and is appropriate for all pores and skin sorts. Historically made with natural components, virgin black olive oil, and black olive paste.
Its objective is to deep clear and purify the pores and skin from dust and removes the lifeless pores and skin. After an intensive deep scrub with this cleaning soap, the pores and skin might be comfortable and silky. Be not afraid to clean arduous and count on an intense scrub when left to an attendant to do the job.
It may be used on your complete physique together with the face because it is a wonderful moisturizer full of Vitamin E. Savon beldi is an general physique remedy in itself. It not solely renews pores and skin cells and strengthens pores and skin tissues, however it additionally helps with the therapy of pores and skin situations like pimples, eczema, and psoriasis.
Ghassoul
A clay that hails from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco identified for its quite a few pores and skin well being advantages. It detoxifies the pores and skin because it deeply cleanses the pores and purifies. Ghassoul is wealthy in potassium and magnesium. The feel of the clay exfoliates lifeless pores and skin cells and leaves the pores and skin feeling comfortable and clear.
Ghassoul could be utilized as a masks or an general physique wrap. Because it has pure astringent properties, it additionally helps with pores and skin situations like pimples, psoriasis, and eczema. The minerals of the clay are additionally helpful for hair well being. It may be used as a shampoo to situation or detangle hair making it comfortable, silky, and glossy.
Argan Oil
A centuries-old magnificence therapy, argan oil has been utilized by the Amazigh/Berber, Morocco’s indigenous individuals, to regenerate their pores and skin and hair. Argan is a tree native to Morocco and the oil is extracted from the nuts of the tree. This amber-colored oil and its therapeutic advantages have earned it the standing of “liquid gold”.
Argan oil is an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant that’s wealthy in Vitamin A&E and omega fatty acids that assist strengthen pores and skin tissue. Many hammams present argan oil massages for an additional price and it’s completely value it. Not solely does it assist to calm down the physique muscle mass, it fully nourishes the pores and skin from head to toe.
Public Hammams
Most public hammams require that you simply convey your individual mat for sitting and a bucket for rinsing. Some do present them, however it’s good to reach ready or attempt to discover out prematurely. Sometimes, guests scrub themselves or have a pal or member of the family do it for them. There are often hammam attendants that may be employed for scrubbing or therapeutic massage therapies when you want.
Guests are anticipated to convey their very own cleaning soap, towel or gown, flip-flops, swimsuit or further pair of underwear, kessa (exfoliating glove), and some other essential toiletries.
Non-public Hammams
Many luxurious inns present hammam providers plus further therapies like scorching stone remedy, foot scrubs, or acupuncture. The 4 Seasons Lodge and The Royal Mansour provide a luxurious hammam expertise that may also be included in a luxurious Morocco tour. Non-public hammams often provide extra therapy choices like scorching stone remedy, acupuncture, or foot scrub. Principally, an attendant does all of the work whilst you actually lay down and let your self get scrubbed, rubbed, and pampered.
Well being Advantages
Spending time in a hammam is a full mind-body-spirit rejuvenator. It permits an opportunity to unwind plus it has quite a few well being advantages. It detoxifies, replenishes the pores and skin, boosts the immune system, relaxes muscle mass, is a miraculous ache reliever, improves circulation within the physique, and reduces stress and anxiousness. You’ll depart feeling renewed, reenergized, and general grounded.
Visiting a hammam is a holistic expertise that can reboot your system so you’ll be able to proceed to discover extra of Morocco’s cultural treasures.
