The hammam is a bathing ritual, not a massage, and knowing that in advance changes the experience entirely.
The sequence
1. Heat — you sit in a hot, steamy room until your skin softens. This takes ten to twenty minutes and is not optional; the scrub does not work on dry skin.
2. Savon beldi — a dark, soft olive-oil soap is applied and left to sit.
3. The scrub — an attendant works over you with a kessa, a rough glove. This is the part people are unprepared for: it is firm, and the results are visible.
4. Rinse — buckets of warm water, poured over you.
5. Rhassoul — a mineral clay mask, often on hair and body.
6. Finish — argan oil, and a period of resting and rehydrating.
Public hammam or spa hammam
- Neighbourhood hammams are where people actually wash. Separate hours or sections for men and women, minimal facilities, and you may bring your own soap, glove and towel. Inexpensive and completely authentic; not private, and not aimed at visitors.
- Riad and spa hammams are private or semi-private, with towels, robes and treatments arranged for you. More comfortable, more expensive, and easier for a first time.
Neither is more real than the other. They are different things.
What to bring and wear
- Disposable or old underwear — you keep bottoms on; nudity is not expected
- Flip-flops for the wet floors
- A change of clothes, since you will leave damp
- Something to tie long hair back
Spa hammams supply all of this. Neighbourhood ones usually do not.
Practical points
- Do not shave the same day. Freshly shaved skin plus a kessa glove is a bad combination.
- Hydrate. You lose a lot of water in the steam.
- Say if it hurts. Firm is normal; painful is not. “Bshwiya” means gently.
- Timing. Late afternoon works well: you come back from the Medina hot and dusty, and go to dinner feeling reset.
- Frequency. Once or twice in a week-long trip. The scrub is thorough and skin needs time.
Who should skip it
If you have very sensitive skin, recent tattoos, sunburn or a skin condition, either skip the scrub or say so clearly beforehand and ask for a gentler version.
Common questions
Do you get naked in a Moroccan hammam?
No. You keep underwear on for the lower body. Bring an old or disposable pair, because black soap and the scrub will ruin them.
How long does a hammam take?
Around an hour for the traditional sequence of steam, soap, scrub, rinse and clay. Add time if you are having a massage afterwards.
Are hammams mixed?
Traditional neighbourhood hammams are separated, either by having different areas or different hours for men and women. Private hammams in riads and spas can be booked for couples or groups.
Does a hammam scrub hurt?
It is firm and can feel abrasive, but it should not be painful. Ask the attendant to go more gently if it is too much u2014 the word is bshwiya.
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