The Hammam

Last week was my first time at the hammam, the public bathhouses in Morocco. My host mother and sister took me and showed me the ropes! Most Moroccans go to the hammam once a week for a deep clean and take brief showers as needed otherwise. I'm still trying to get used to this! But my first trip to the hammam was very cool.

We left the house in the evening, which meant the hammam was less crowded. On the way, we stopped at a small shop to buy soap and shampoo. We bought a special brown soap that most people use at the hammam, that comes in a form that feels like a more solid version of vaseline. The hammam we went to had three rooms: one for dressing where we could also leave our stuff, and two for the actual bathing. Some hammams have designated cold, medium, and hot rooms. At this one, the two rooms were both medium, though still very warm. Most women wear underwear only, and some bring their small children (even little boys), which was a lot to get used to!

The first step is to stake out a space. This was fairly easy since our timing was good, but I could see how difficult it must be at peak times on the weekends. We set up mats on the floor and filled up about ten huge buckets of hot water at the common tap. We started with the special brown soap, and then scrubbed thoroughly with rough gloves until I had exfoliated far more than I thought was possible! The exfoliation process itself takes about an hour-- our whole trip took nearly three hours. After shampooing and shaving (yes, Moroccan women shave too), we did a final soap and scrub with regular soap (a Dove bar of soap, for example). I don't think I have ever felt so clean! The hammam costs 9 dirhams, about a dollar, but for a few dollars extra, you can get someone to scrub you or give you a massage! I think I'll try that next time!