Navigating Morocco’s ancient hammam ritual: How to visit and what to do
While Roman rule over North Africa is now a distant memory, the empire left a mark on the culture and architecture of Morocco that is still seen today – most notably in its hammams, which are a weekly ritual for most Moroccans. Yes, it’s said that Moroccan “hammams” took inspiration from the original Roman bathhouses and culture, which were built some 2,000 years earlier to increase public hygiene.
Hammams are now an integral part of Moroccan culture and something that you can experience while visiting. These gender-segregated spaces are a place to bathe, meet, and gossip.
Let’s take a look at what it’s like to experience a hammam.
Want to experience a traditional or luxury hammam in Morocco? Reach out to us at info@epic.travel
Local hammam vs. luxury hotel hammam: What’s the difference?
If you’re visiting Morocco you can choose to experience the culture of a Moroccan bathhouse. Generally, you’ll have a choice between visiting a local hammam or going to a hotel hammam, which is more like a day spa. Let’s look deeper at the differences.
“I think it really depends on the person and what kind of traveller you are,” says Epic’s client and sales manager Giulia. “I’m not saying one thing is nicer than the other (because let’s be honest being pampered is always nice) but it’s just two different ways.
“Doing a hammam in a hotel is relaxing and calm whereas going to a local hammam is much more of an “experience” with people chatting loudly, kids coming and going.”
Local hammams
Local hammams or public hammams are traditional and community-centered spaces. These are usually very affordable as people use them frequently, and traditionally they would be located near mosques to allow for the purification of body and soul before prayers.
The hammam is usually a large building with three or four long rooms. There are no pools inside the hammam – all the rooms are tiled steam rooms, each with a different temperature. This means older women, mothers with babies and small kids all have an appropriate heat level.
The hammam is gender segregated and everyone is naked (it’s not a big deal) or wearing underpants. Locals will use these like a shower, so women will arrive with a kit of shampoo, conditioner, a henna mask, black soap, scrubbing glove, razor etc and will stay there for one or two hours to complete their bathing ritual and catch up on neighbourhood gossip. Some will bring their own little chair or a plastic rug to sit on for hygiene reasons.
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Luxury or hotel hammams
Many hotels in Morocco offer more luxurious hammam experiences. These are usually more private and spa-like, and have been designed for tourists. It depends on the hotel, but many offer the experience of hair washing and masks, but in a calmer, relaxed space without the chatter of a community meeting hall!
Here the emphasis is on relaxation rather than communal bathing, and often you enjoy extras like massages and aromatherapy.
“What is really nice is we offer guests a halfway between the two,” says Giula. “There is a public hammam that is more expensive (around 20€ versus 2€ for a public hammam) that means you can experience a real hammam, but in a quiet space.
“There is a lady taking care of you, putting on the black soap, scrubbing you, massaging your feet, washing your hair, putting a face mask on, and even braiding your hair at the end.”
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What to expect: Hammam etiquette & culture
“I think what makes people feel a little bit uncomfortable is just the fact that everyone is naked – but it’s super normal and no Moroccan is ashamed and embarrassed about this,” says Giulia. “It’s really fun to see the contrast of women around the city all covered up, but once they are in the bathhouse the wall falls.”
It can be both exciting and intimidating for first-time hammam visitors, so we thought we’d share how it works.
- Public and local hammams are separated into women and men. Children can go with their mother until the age of 8.
- In local hammams there is not really any kind of privacy. The women there that scrub you touch you everywhere they need to for cleaning, whereas in a luxury hammam they are softer and more gentle or caring with where and how they touch you. They know Europeans are much more prude!
- Beyond cleansing, hammams are meeting places. Usually all the people from the “derb” (neighbourhood) go to their hammam to hear all the gossip or local news.
“It’s a place where women can meet and talk about everything, such as problems with their husband, kids, family etc, without being overheard,” says Giulia. “Especially since back in the day, women couldn’t just meet at a cafe with their friends, and inside the house there would usually be the whole family (mother/uncles/sister-in-law etc..) so the only place where you can chat is in the hammam.”
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What to bring to a hammam
In the public or beldi hammams you need to bring everything with you. You’ll find these items for sale in the souks, and usually there a hannout (sort of a kiosk) next to the hammams where you can buy everything you need!
If you plan to visit a hammam with Epic, we’ll guide you with everything you will need for the experience.
Essentials to pack
- Soap – specifically Moroccan black soap (beldi soap). It’s good for clean and glowing skin – it has amazing benefits such as hydrating, cleansing and exfoliating.
- Exfoliating glove (Kessa). To scrub away all the dead skin that will come off after opening the pores with the humidity and the black soap.
- Towels and flip flops. Keep the flip-flops on to avoid bacteria (just like at a public pool or shower), and use the towel to dry off after the hammam steam.
- Plastic bucket and bowl. Usually this is provided by hammams – you fill up the big bucket with hot/cold water (depending what kind of temperature you want) and then use the small bucket or scoop to manually throw water over the part of your body you wish to wash.
- Extra skincare products. Consider taking hair oil or moisturiser to use on your skin or hair after the hammam.
What to wear in a hammam
Nothing but flip flops! Typically most people are completely nude in a hammam and come in all shapes and sizes! Some may wear underpants or panties, but they will take these off before being scrubbed or scrubbing themselves. If you visit a luxury hammam, they may give you paper pants.
“You can wear a slip, but it’s considered weird if someone goes in with a bra or swimsuit,” says Giulia. “But as a tourist they would understand it and they know that tourists are more private. You won’t harm any “cultural norms” by wearing extra items.”
“Just think that in the end everyone is the same… boobs are boobs and no one is there to judge you. It’s quite easy to feel comfortable in hammams here because you really see everything, every age, and all kinds of body shapes.
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The hammam experience: A step-by-step guide
Step 1: Entering the hammam
When you enter a public hammam you’ll have to pay a fee, usually around 20 dirham but it depends on the place. You can pay a little bit extra to have the hammam attendant (tellak) scrub you.
In hotels and at more luxurious hammams you will choose a package and the staff will guide you through everything.
Public hammams will have a three-room set up with different steam room heat temperatures for you to choose from. Hotels will usually have just one room.
Step 2: Scrubbing & washing
Locals at the hammam will usually scrub themselves or ask another person to scrub their back or parts they cannot reach. In nice hotels, the staff will take care of you like at a spa.
In hotels they will scrub guests gently. They know visitors are not used to being scrubbed and have more sensitive skin, plus plenty of dead skin comes off without scrubbing hard.
For locals who go weekly, the exfoliation intensity will be much higher.
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Step 3: Rinsing and relaxation
Why does it take so long at the hammam? You have to open your pores, scrub, rinse and finally relax.
Step 4: Finishing touches
You lose a lot of minerals sweating within the hammam, so it’s also super important to drink a lot of water afterward and relax to make sure your blood pressure doesn’t drop too much.
Common hammam misconceptions & FAQs
Are hammams hygienic?
The hammam attendants clean every evening usually after the last clients of the day. Like a shower at home, the walls etc are washed with bleach.
Will I be uncomfortable as a foreigner?
No there is nothing to feel uncomfortable about, if you are a really private person there for sure it will bother you to be naked in front of people – you can just keep on your underwear.
Do I need to speak Arabic or French?
Yes, in the public beldi hammams in the derb (neighbourhood) usually they only speak Arabic, but in the more touristic hammams there is no problem.
Can I visit the hammam alone?
You can go alone to a hammam, but you will need help to scrub any hard-to-reach places. You can either ask another person to scrub you, pay the attendant, or just do it on your own. You’ll find it’s very friendly.
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Extra tips for first-time visitors
- Avoid weekends when all the mothers go with their kids, and avoid after work when it gets busy. The best time is during the day or in the morning when there is only elderly people.
- It’s polite to tip the attendants – between 20 to 50 dirhams in the public ones and in hotels, maybe between 50 and 80
- Don’t forget to drink water and stay hydrated!
Epic can create a hammam and Moroccan beauty ritual experience for you. We know first-hand the best spots in each city for a spa day or hammam – reach out to our team at info@epic.travel and we’ll plan your Morocco trip.
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