*In this difficult time, azureazure is here for you. We are committed to helping both our readers and the industries that have been most impacted by the pandemic. Until the crisis is over, we will be publishing relevant content alongside our regular stories, which we hope offer you a few moments of escape. We would like to hear from you. Email us at azure@azureazure.com*
There is nothing more pleasant than to visit a hammam with history and indulge in its rituals. The skylights let in the dim light, the sensual music seems piped in from far away; the aromas captivate, the water caresses the skin, and the body retires to a state of calmness from which it will emerge purified.This type of public baths from the Islamic world have centuries of tradition and are now available in many of the world’s leading spas. But for reasons of space, it is difficult for a beauty salon or a luxury hotel to faithfully recreate the grandeur of the facilities in an authentic hammam room.
Hammam, an Islamic luxury that has stood the test of time. Originally a traditional meeting place and the center of social life, the Turkish hammams—as well as those from other Arab countries— have several rooms in which the main attraction is the water. They usually consist of different areas for women and men, locker rooms, separate hot and cold-water rooms, steam room, relaxation areas, and the main room—the largest— overflowing with warm water baths. Hammam, an Islamic luxury that has stood the test of time. Upon entering a hammam, the client receives a sarong and must decide whether he just wants a bath, massage or both. He will then choose the thickness of the kessa glove with which his body will be rubbed. These are usually made of coarse fabric that softens the epidermis; the client can also choose the type of soap he wants for his skin. He will proceed to the steam room and finally the warm water room, where he will use bowls to pour water over his body. The authentic hammam massage is performed on a warm, slippery stone and has little in common with the mild and pleasant massage applied to customers lying on comfortable spa beds. In Arab countries, the experience features a hard and rude rubdown, performed by large women or men who clean, scrub and exfoliate the skin intensively, with the firm intention of releasing–apparently forever–all the dead cells. The client accesses the relaxation room after approximately half an hour, where he is served tea with antioxidant properties. Hammams have multiple health benefits from improving skin elasticity and hydration. Hammams have multiple health benefits. The high temperature and the steam improve skin elasticity and hydration. The pores dilate; toxins are removed and sweating facilitates a deep cleaning of the epidermis. However, certain precautions are recommended for pregnant women, the elderly and people with hypertension as heat can accelerate the heart rate. In Spain, a country with an Arab past, the Al Andalus hotel network has hammam centers in Granada, Malaga, Madrid, and Cordoba. And Grupo Aire has them in Barcelona, Almería, Sevilla and Vallromanes, in addition to its center in Manhattan, New York. You can also find luxury hammam baths in other European countries. In Germany, for example, in the five-star Grand Hotel Heiligendamm on the Baltic Sea; the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof in Frankfurt; the Schloss Elmau, in the Bavarian city of Krün, and the Sultan Hamam in Berlin, which is the largest in the city. In France, Paris has several of these great baths: the O’Kari, Les Bains du Marais, L’Escale Orientale and Hammam Pacha just to name a few. ■
