fbpx

A First-Timer’s Guide to Visiting a Moroccan Hammam

A First-Timer’s Guide to Visiting a Moroccan Hammam

Sure, lying face-down on a stone slab, nearly naked, while a stranger thrashes away at you might be a fantasy for some, but it certainly was not for me. And yet there I was, having willingly signed myself up for the jarring experience — and, truth be told, enjoying it. Welcome to a Moroccan hammam.

These traditional bathhouses are a staple of Moroccan life, and have been for centuries. Every quarter in each city’s ancient medina revolves around four neighborhood requisites: a mosque, a public fountain, a bakery, and a hammam, the last of which is frequented by residents at least once a week for a thorough scrub. I managed to avoid visiting one on my previous visit to Morocco, but this time, after eight sweltering August days mired in sweat, feeling as though I may never be clean again, I knew it was time to forsake my inhibitions and give it a whirl.

To read the rest of Sarah Khan’s story on AFKTravel, click here.