The hammam has been a part of Middle Eastern culture for centuries, with a history reaching as far back as the Roman Empire. Traditionally, hammams were communal bathing spaces in which people would go to relax, get clean and socialise, but as innovations in modern plumbing meant bathrooms were built in the comfort and convenience of the home, the need to regularly attend a hammam fell by the wayside. Now regarded as somewhat of a luxury, both in terms of time and ritual, the modern hammam experience is often played out in opulent vault-like spaces in five-star resorts and, in some cases, it has morphed into a private, spa-like ceremony with indulgent add-ons like massages and body masks.
Not to be confused with a Moroccan bath, which features heat over humidity, the hammam experience typically begins with a steam bath, followed by a deep cleanse using nourishing black soap made of olive oil, and a sometimes rather aggressive deep exfoliation using a traditional kese mitt. Considered a purification for both body and soul, it is also viewed as a spiritual ablution in some cultures.
Dubai has close to spas , serving a community of beauty and wellness enthusiasts. The spa, one of the largest in the Middle East, is a warren of marble- and mural-lined walkways, the scent of rose hanging heavy in the air.
Clad in the traditional striped Turkish peshtemal fabric, my attendant leads me into a cavernous room dominated by a central raised platform carved from gently heated marble. Four other female customers are already in situ, in varying stages of being vigorously lathered, scrubbed and rinsed. I lay face up on the marble, lulled by the swooshing of water and the repetitive burnished orange and turquoise patterning on the dramatic domed ceiling.
Silver jugs in hand, my attendant douses me in warm water, before scrubbing every inch of my skin with a traditional kese exfoliating mitt and then covering me in a mountain of foamy soap and massaging me gently. I'm rinsed off at one of the benches lining the walls, my hair painstakingly shampooed and conditioned. This is the standard minute variation of the hammam experience, but there are more elaborate rituals on offer that include honey body masks and coffee peeling treatments.
