Single Lady looking for Hammam in Marrakech

On my website you can read about hammams: FAQ Morocco

The best hammam in Marrakech is not far from Djemaa el-Fna, it is in the street Rue Fatima-Zohra (reight from Av.
Mohammed V). there is after 300 m left the Hammam Dar el-Bacha. In the morning for men, afternoon for women.

Hi,
I've been to a hammam twice. It was an interesting experience, especially since it washed away all the Ingres-inspired ideas I had about it. Both places where i was were quite dark, not at all romantic. I didn't know much about the etiquette - still don't. The first time I really felt stupid. I tried to do as the other women did, but then I'm short sighted, and they just seemed to be there seating on low benches and talking to each other. That's also one of the reasons they go there, of course. Anyway, as a foreigner they'll just forgive you if you don't know to well how to rub yourself or how to use the water. The first time I asked for a massage. It nearly took my skin off. But since I had just arrived from a 10 day trek in the Atlas, it was good to remove the dust.
Now for some facts, on my experience: I bought some local soap (I love it) and a washing glove on the market, and also took a pair of clean plastic sandals. I also bought a kind of plastic rug. I was with a friend doing these trip and he had read something about it. The idea is that you don't seat directly on the floor, for hygienic reasons. Of course, I wondered why I even would have to seat, but that's the way they do it. I took all my clothes off, went in, did my best at cleaning myself, wondered if I was supposed to stay always at the same room or if the other rooms would be different, then decided to just wait for the massage. And that was it. Besides feeling very clean, I enjoyed being some place where there were only women, where you heard them talk and saw their gestures, away from men, in a culture where men mostly have the lead.

Last August I visited a hammam as part of the celebrations around a traditional arabic wedding. Like qalinhola my eyesight is poor without glasses and there are clouds of steam. On arrival I was told to strip to my knickers and armed only with my shampoo, shower gel and a towel I was dragged inside by Latifah. There was a kind of anteroom where women were sitting around in raised alcoves chatting, snacking and generally chilling. There was even some singing and dancing as there were several wedding parties in attendance that day. The bridal groups have a female drummer who leads the party in wedding songs. Most of the women wore only knickers although some of the younger girls (selfconscious teens) wore bras. I was led along a corridor into a large room. In the centre was a large raised area with women standing around it washing themselves down from buckets of hot water. At the far end of the room were individual shower stalls with wooden doors. Just enough room to stand inside with a cold water tap and a drain on the back wall. Latifah fetched a wooden bucket of hot water with a ladle which she used to pour water all over me. She then used some kind of friction glove (felt like a panscrubber), to vigorously wash me all over. The only bit I was allowed to wash myself - please look away boys - was my genital area. Then more buckets of hot water were ladled over me as a rinse. It felt a bit like being bathed as a child by my mother! I wasn't allowed into the hot steam room. All my friends said it would be too hot for me. The bride was ensconced in there with the older women who would be giving her the lowdown on the art of a happy married life. Then it was back to the antechamber where I towelled dry and dressed. I felt great, even without a massage the friction wash left me feeling super clean and invigorated. My pal Salwa had remained at the entrance guarding our belongings with her toddler son. She was heavily pregnant and so didn't use the hammam. Instead she was clapping and singing along with the drummer. As an englishwoman with some arabic I was as much the centre of attention as the brides were. The younger girls were keen to practice their english and they made me recite every arabic word I knew. Next time I will leave my glasses on. If you get any chance go with an arabic woman friend. Ask the maids where you stay to recommend somewhere. You never know they might invite you along.

you will need a small bucket plastic sandels, soap shampoo a towel, a extra pair of underwear,a rough washing glove (5-10 dirham in souqs) a cloth glove if you want. you will get 2 large buckets 1 for hot water 1 for cold. mix the water in your bucket. when you are leaving change under the towel. The main steam room is extreamly hot but great. I would not try to keep glasses on they will fog up immediatly in main steam room.

I used to go every week when I lived in Morocco. #3 gave a really accurate experience (as did 2) of a traditional hammam, which I don't like. I prefer the modern type, which has regular taps around the perimeter of the room. Many Moroccan women choose this one too (it's much less work). Usually, you'll find these in the ville nouvelles of towns.

You need to bring:
-towel or bathrobe
-plastic sandals
-bucket (some hammams provide these)
-mat (highly suggested) or low plastic seat
-shampoo, soap, body wash, pumice stone, anything else you'd use for a really good bath or shower
-razor

You can buy there (usually):
-kees (the thing used to scrub yourself)
-sabon beldi (traditional olive soap)

You should go straight into the hottest room (I have always done this, I don't mess around), get hot, and slather sabon beldi over your WHOLE body, then just let it soak in. This is a good time to shave, too. Then you can scrub yourself or have the woman do it (this costs about 20dh). After that, wash yourself and your hair as you normally would (most women move to a cooler room for this part, I stay in the hot room the entire time), then go.

I suggest bringing a bottle of water and an orange into the hammam with you - the orange helps if you get overheated and your sugar gets low. If you choose to sit on a mat on the floor, I also suggest turning up the corners of your mat (I put my sandals underneath) so other people's detritus doesn't float onto your mat.