Here in Morocco we have the custom of going once a week to the Hammam in order to clean one’s body. The Hammam in English I can call it a bath house or a public bathroom. The Hammam is composed of at least four rooms; each room is for a special purpose. The first room is a place where one should take off his clothes keeping one's underwear and pay the attendant of the Hammam; it is equipped with a number of cupboards numbered from one to thirty or forty where one puts his clothes and remembers the number of his cupboard. The other three rooms are where one is supposed to clean him or herself. They just differ at the level of heat. One is a little bit cold, the second is hotter, and the third one is the hottest and where there is a huge sink made of cement and fiance with three taps; one is for very hot water the second is for cold water and the third one is for producing evaporation that fills the air with hot steam and makes the body transpire, sweaty and ready to start cleaning oneself.What to clarify here is that there are Hammams that are only for women and those which are only for men; sometimes we can find one that divides its time;the day is for women and the night is for men.What is special about the hammam in Morocco is that people can bath and wash themselves collectively.Sometimes, neighbours or friends, or the members of the one family can point a day and meet there to clean, relax and exchange news if not gossip while proceeding at the rituals of cleansing.So, to go to the Hammam one should make sure that he has the needed material to get cleaned: two buckets to collect hot water from the huge sink, a plastic mat or a plastic stool on which to stay if you mind not staying on the hot ground, a plastic bowl to pour water over oneself, a harsh glove-like with which to scrub oneself and remove the dead skin, besides the shower supplies such as shampoo, soap, towel...one normally needs.The Hammam in Morocco is part of our culture, its main purpose is cleansing.So, do yo have something likewise in your country?
Hi? everything is here is very good but We Ugandan Africa we don't have them except me I will try to make it for my self because it's looking so beautiful in the picture wow Janet Smith this pic!!! Wonderful.
Hi dear Hananeh
we used to have a kind of hammams like that before in my country but not anymore and the photo is related to Salmas hammam in Gajar dynasty(1721-1921)in Iran.
i appreciate you about giving the usefull informations to us about your custom.
Yea, I can say the same thing, here in Uzbekistan we don't have, but we have this in Russia, I'm harf russian that's why I know it's like custom too, it's called Banya or Sauna, and people who come there pay for spending their time there, and there are three,four and sometimes more levels there, inside of Banya, and bathers who came there they take all neccesary stuffs which they need in any bath-rooms, and spend their time there, it's so useful as I know, cos' I know that the main affect of it is talking out, and removing all microbes from cells of skin, on a body and hence it's one of the mainest way to get rid of all meladies, or beginnings of lot's of types of sicknesses, and problems with health. In English it's called bath-room, simply, and this word is for russian Banya, and after this, people usually go out, and if it's Winter, they go out on fresh air, where everythig is cold and it's like Winter-bather, if you know, winter-bathers are chilling people, they try to make themselves get accustomed to the cold, and thus they become very protective to the everything that we face with in all seasons, it's cathing of cold, and contagious meladies.
People in Russia have their own Banya, and they build it at home, not at home, but on outer territories of their houses, around of thier houses, in the yards, it's cheaper for them, and they don't have to pay for it, don't to walk anywhere they have this great thing near, it's suitably, of course. And surely for its building they have to spend much money and time cos' Banya it's not anything usual, they have to hire special workers who will able to make, to build it rightly, from right design of it and choosing of right place to the drain of this everything, but after they do it rightly and according to all standards of course they get pleasure and good health, which they will not buy anywhere, which is one and only as we all know.
Unfortunately, we don't have hammans in my coutnry, but i love to go there when i am in countries where it's part of the culture. As you said, it's a place where to socialize and to relax. We have saunas here, but for me, it's really not the same !
By the way, this picture you donwlaoded here is beautiful, it really reflects a peaceful and warm atmosphere.
We have sauna. In city most people don't have it, but in country side people usually have one. It's usually separate building with 2 rooms one is for dressing and for heating, other is steam room for taking steam and for washing... Older sauna might not have a chimney. Those we call smoke sauna. In that case the stones in sauna were heated up before, by making fire underneath of them, while the doors were kept opened to allow smoke to escape and latter when fire is ended, then the sauna is used... Modern sauna have a chimney, so that u can continuously heat it without danger while in use.. It won't cool down after some rounds.. but the old smoke sauna have better atmosphere in it. It have the smell of smoke in it. In my grandfather's house, there was smoke sauna. It was old, not so wind and warmth tight anymore so did not get so hot. maybe only up to 80 C hot. In modern sauna temperature reach easily over 120C when needed. I prefer it to be about 80C though. Usually people take some rounds of steam while cooling between of sessions.. For quick cooling people might go outside or jump into lake or even into cold snow in winter. Well I don't go to water or snow. It's danger to hearth. Just siting outside a while in night is enough for me.. Don't want to stress my hearth unnecessarily.
While taking the steam, people often "beat"(swing) them selves with a bunch of tree branches, usually birch tree branches.(called "viht" In Estonian(vihta in Finnish)).. Most it does, is that it makes hot air and steam flow against body.. I think. Maybe it seems weird first, but It's pleasure.. The birch tree leaves also smell nice.. probably.. I think.. I never thought about it carefully why it's good.. It's just one of custom in sauna.
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see you
Thank you for sharing.
regards
Hi dear Hananehwe used to have a kind of hammams like that before in my country but not anymore and the photo is related to Salmas hammam in Gajar dynasty(1721-1921)in Iran.
i appreciate you about giving the usefull informations to us about your custom.
People in Russia have their own Banya, and they build it at home, not at home, but on outer territories of their houses, around of thier houses, in the yards, it's cheaper for them, and they don't have to pay for it, don't to walk anywhere they have this great thing near, it's suitably, of course. And surely for its building they have to spend much money and time cos' Banya it's not anything usual, they have to hire special workers who will able to make, to build it rightly, from right design of it and choosing of right place to the drain of this everything, but after they do it rightly and according to all standards of course they get pleasure and good health, which they will not buy anywhere, which is one and only as we all know.
Unfortunately, we don't have hammans in my coutnry, but i love to go there when i am in countries where it's part of the culture. As you said, it's a place where to socialize and to relax. We have saunas here, but for me, it's really not the same !
By the way, this picture you donwlaoded here is beautiful, it really reflects a peaceful and warm atmosphere.
Have a good day,
Forget-me-not
While taking the steam, people often "beat"(swing) them selves with a bunch of tree branches, usually birch tree branches.(called "viht" In Estonian(vihta in Finnish)).. Most it does, is that it makes hot air and steam flow against body.. I think. Maybe it seems weird first, but It's pleasure.. The birch tree leaves also smell nice.. probably.. I think.. I never thought about it carefully why it's good.. It's just one of custom in sauna.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauna#Estonian_sauna