The Moroccan Hammam: An Eternal Tradition

There’s one place in Morocco where time slows down, worries melt away, and generations connect. Welcome to the hammam!

Fez– The Moroccan hammam is more than just a place to bathe. It’s a deep-rooted tradition that has been part of Moroccan culture for centuries.

Even today, many Moroccan women visit the hammam at least once a week, keeping the rituals alive despite the rise of modern spas.

There’s an old Moroccan saying: “Lalla Zina w zadha nour l’hammam” – which means that a woman becomes even more beautiful and radiant after leaving the hammam.

This reflects how special the experience is. It’s not just about cleaning the body; it’s about relaxation, socializing, and following important life traditions.

For Moroccan women, the hammam plays a role in many life events. As little girls, they learn about hygiene and beauty from their mothers.

When they reach puberty, their families celebrate by taking them to the hammam for a special bath.

Before a wedding, the bride prepares herself with a luxurious hammam session, surrounded by women from her family, who light candles and burn incense to create a spiritual atmosphere.

After giving birth, a mother visits the hammam on the seventh day, where her family takes care of her, protects her from the evil eye with special rituals, and wraps her belly tightly to help her heal.

For many women in the past, the hammam was one of the only places they could go freely, away from their husbands and mothers-in-law. It was a weekly refugee.

It was a space to relax, chat, and even show off new clothes and jewelry. Mothers also took their daughters to find potential brides, watching other young women and suggesting matches for their sons.

The hammam is also an important part of Morocco’s architectural heritage. Found in every old neighborhood, it usually has three connected rooms, with temperatures getting hotter as you move deeper inside.

The final room has the “berma”, a large basin of hot water.

Traditional hammams are still popular, with entrance fees of around 10 and 20 dirhams.

However, modern spas now offer extra services like saunas and massages, costing between MAD 100 to 200 (USD 10 to 20 )

Some luxury wellness centers have even brought the hammam experience to other countries.

Inside the hammam, professional bath attendants, called “ksala”, help customers scrub their bodies and remove dead skin.

The most important bathing tools include black soap (saboun beldi), ghassoul clay for hair and skin, and the rough exfoliating glove known as kess.

Before leaving, Moroccan women dry off with embroidered towels and perfume themselves with rose water or lavender.

This is why Moroccans say, “Dukhoul l’hammam mshi bhal khroujou” – entering the hammam is not the same as leaving it.

The experience transforms you, inside and out.