For traveller for us all, we travel for experience, in particular unique experience.
One of the the must-do experiences during travel to Morocco is to spend the afternoon at leisure in a traditional Moroccan Hammam (Bath House, or well know as Turkish Bath). After all, for locals, it’s weekly must-do. And that must-do is the hammam ritual.
The Moroccan hammam begins with a traditional ritual of glazing the body with – ghassoul, a natural clay extracted from the Atlas Mountains and blended with water to rid the skin of impurities.
Then black soap, is applied on the body, made with olive oil and eucalyptus leaves softens the skin prior to a body scrub.
The next phase is rose water, made from Atlas roses and used to calm the skin; and finally argan oil to moisturize the skin, are essential components of this important ritual.
During the Hammam Ritual you will enjoy a series of rooms starting with a warm room, then a very hot room, a warm room, then end in a cold room.
This enables your body to adjust to the heat and for your skin to be scrubbed easily and soak up the oils and gain hydration which enhances the totality of the Hammam as a healthy experience.
Each neighborhood in Morocco’s medinas (old cities) has a local hammam where men and women bathe separately; in separate spaces or during varied opening hours. Often centuries old, the Moroccan hammam maintains its importance within the community. Given that some medina homes are still without sufficient running water the Moroccan hammam is key to daily life. The Moroccan hammam is also a place for women to socialist with friends while spending a few hours gossiping and engaging in ancient beauty rituals.
Today, mid-range hammams are popular in modern Moroccan neighborhoods and, alike the community hammam in the medinas, are open for foreigners to visit. For a more upscale experience, there are private hammams that cater specifically to tourists along with luxury riads and boutique hotels that offer a combination of hammam and spa options with leading beauty brands.
If you choose to visit the local hammam, plan to take bottoms, a towel, black soap and a lkisse (the latter two available at the local hanout or corner store). Mid-range and luxury spas will provide everything you need for a relaxing hammam experience. Whether you choose to visit a local hammam for a truly great scrub-down, a mid-range hammam for a more commercial scrub and massage treatment, or a luxury treatment at one of the award-winning hammams, you’re sure to leave feeling clean and relaxed (and perhaps having shed a layer or two of skin.
Savon Beldi – traditional black soap, natural cleansing soap that originates from the Atlantic Coast of Morocco. Rhassoul– natural mineral clay that has been mined in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco since the 8th Century. It is combined with water to clean the body, skin and hair Loofa scrub glove (kiis) – rough hand fitted cloth used for scrubbing the body Aromatic & Nut Oils – Rose oil, Orange Oil and Almond or Argan Oil often used to hydrate the skin
