What should I expect when I visit a Moroccan hammam?

A visit to a Moroccan hammam (bathhouse) is a wonderful experience and one of the best ways to connect with Moroccans. The rules for taking a bath in a hammam are not written in stone, but here's a guide to the traditional way of doing it.

Where to find a hammam

You will find public hammams in almost every town in Morocco, and in every neighborhood in the cities. Your hotel reception desk will know where to find a local hammam. Taxi drivers, waiters and people in the street will also be happy to give you directions.
The larger hammams have separate bathing rooms (and entrances) for men and women, some exclusively serve either gender. A third category have days of the week for men, and other days for women. You will not find "mixed" public hammams anywhere in Morocco.
Quite a few upscale hotels and riads offer private hammams to their guests. Some also allow non-guests to use their baths. While these private hammams are usually more elaborate and luxurious, they also tend to be much more expensive than public bathhouses.
Some hotels and riads allow people from both genders to bathe together. Ask about their policy before you book.

What to bring to a hammam
Moroccans take the following toiletries to the bathhouse:

• soap,
• shampoo,
• scrub glove,
• towel,
• small, jug-style plastic bucket to pour water over your body,
• swimsuit or extra underwear
• shaving cream and razor.

Hammams usually sell travel-size bottles of shampoo and soap. When available, buy "sabon beldi," a unique black olive oil soap. Also ask if they sell "rhassoul," a lava clay that is used to scrub the skin.
You can also rent towels for a few dirham at the front desk.
Scrub gloves and the small plastic buckets are available at souks (markets) and épiceries (drugstores). They both cost no more than around 10 dirham. Sabon beldi and rhassoul are also widely available in shops.

Hammam layout

When you enter a hammam, you pay the man at the front desk the entry fee and continue to the changing room. Here, you change into a swim suit or a piece of underwear. You leave your clothes on shelves in the room.
There is usually no locker-type storage available, but staff will keep an eye on your belongings. It's very rare for clothing or shoes to be stolen from a hammam, but you should not bring valuable items to a bathhouse.
The changing room often doubles as a place for people to rest after their bath. A lot of hammams serve coffee or tea in this room. So while changing, you will be surrounded by other guests. Be careful to wrap a towel around your waist as you change - full-frontal nudity is offensive.
Beyond the changing room are three areas separated by walls and connected by small openings in these walls. The first room is cool, the second room is warm and the third room is steaming hot.

The hammam ritual

After changing, the usual path through a hammam is:

• (1) Warm room
  Here, you get your body accustomed to the heat in the hammam and fill two of the many available large buckets, one with cold water and one with warm water.
  
  You use some of the water to clean the floor of the space you'll be sitting on. Then you wash a first time, but just superficially, to get rid of the basic dirt on your skin and in your hair.
  
• (2) Hot room
  The heat in the hot room allows your pores to open wide and let your sweat out. This brings all the dirt out that's hidden in your pores and does wonders for your skin.
  
  How much time you spend in this room, depends on your tolerance for heat. You can use the water in your buckets to refresh from time to time, although most Moroccans leave their buckets in the warm room.
  
• (3) Warm room
  You return to the warm room for a more thorough washing. This is when you soap in completely, using the water from one bucket in the process. A fellow bather may offer to wash your back for you. This is a courtesy, don't misinterpret it for anything else.
  
  After you wash your skin and hair, you use the water from the second bucket to rinse the soap and dirt off your body.
  
  When your bath is done, you carefully empty the remaining water from your buckets along the walls of the warm room.
  
• (4) Cold room
  After your bath, you step into the cold room. Many hammams have communal showers in this room, so you can rinse the last remaining dirt and sweat off your body. There are also benches in this room where you can relax for a while and let your body get used to normal temperatures again.

Getting a massage

Many hammams, but by far not all, have staff who can massage you. The more upscale (often private) hammams use scented oils for this. Here, you can also choose to be washed by staff. Such a "gommage" often involves rich olive oil soap and is a real treat.
In the more basic, public hammams, a fellow bather may offer to massage you. There's nothing suspicious about such an offer. It's a very kind gesture, usually without financial motives, although returning the favor is somewhat expected.
People with a bad back or other ailments would be wise to abstain from a massage. Even at the hand of a professional, a massage can be quite painful, although afterwards you'll feel as new.
Getting a massage is always an option, never compulsory.

Hammam etiquette

There are a couple of things that you can do to upset Moroccans in a hammam.
Wasting water is one of them. Water is scarce in Morocco and splashing it around in large quantities is considered imprudent and rude. Only use as much water as you need to wash and rinse.
Even more seriously offensive is stripping completely naked in a hammam. There are no exceptions in men's bathhouses, but in some women's hammams people have reported Moroccan women going complete naked. Still, women tourists should only bare all when they see Moroccans doing it.
Although hammams are basically for hygiene, they also have an important social function. This is especially true for more "traditional" women, who rarely leave their house except for a visit to the hammam. People like to chat in hammams, discussing the latest news and gossip.
As a tourist, you may be quite an event in a public hammam. You will receive a lot of attention. Enjoy your special status - a hammam is a great place to get to know Moroccans. Don't be surprised if you're invited over for drinks or dinner.

How much a hammam costs

A bath in a public hammam usually costs around 5 or 10 dirham (US$0.50-1.00). Towels, soap and other toiletries are available for a couple of dirhams.
If you take a massage from one of the staff in a public hammam, you are expected to tip him 10 or 15 dirham (US$1.00-1.50).
As you leave the bathhouse, it's custom to tip the front desk attendant one or two dirham.
Hammams in hotels and riads ask up to 200 dirham (US$20) for a bath. Some even charge such amounts to their hotel guests. Expect to pay another 200 dirham for a massage in such places.

Cities submerged under water ...

many cities in history disappeared from the face of the earth by volcanoes,earth quake or tsunami etc..these cities one day after the last to be discavered , either through scientific missions or by accident.
So let's take a quick look at some famous cities under water:
Alexandria, Egypt:
          off the coast of Alexandria,the city of Alexander the great , believed to be sunk as a result of an earth quike strunk the region since more than 1500 years. you can see clearly in this city sunken artifacts and various parts of the palace of  Cleopatra.

Gulf of Cambay, India: 
  a few years ago scientists discovred the remain 

of a great city existed here since 9500 years! 

Ruin mingled here with the bodies of human and 

physical effects..

he had not originally found in this region as it is 

older than 5000 years, so when you discover this 

sunken city, scientists  began their acount and 

re-evaluation of the history citivilization in this 

geographical area. scientists fired the city the name

"Dwarka" or"City of cold".  

Kuan her native Phayao, Thailand:
        This discovery in itself is unusual, Temple THB over the age of 500 years lies at the bottom of her native Phayao Lake! What the cause of this situation is rare and exotic that the lake was originally created around the temple for almost seventy years.
There have been several recent studies confirm the possibility of raising the level of the temple to the earth's surface at a prohibitive cost.
Some opposed this idea for two reasons: it will cost millions of dollars and that the temple is now a habitat for fish entitled to the protection as part of the environmental wealth of the country.
Havana, Cuba:

         Scientists continue their exploration of the megalithic culture found in the Yucatan Channel near Cuba. Here scientists have found compelling evidence of a civilized environment and a wide stretch for miles along the ocean beach. Some believe that the civilization that inhabited this region is the oldest of all cultures and precedes all the old U.S. detected. Until the moment only the figurative virtual computer is what made ​​a chart of what might be the shape of the sunken city. 

child rape

every one in morocco try to avoid talking about child rape,although the drag of this criminal act have severe repercussions on the psyche of the victim; The rural migration, poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and deprivation is one of the factors that have contributed and still contribute to the emergence of the phenomenon of children's exposure to rape. To the extent that every displaced child is a child rapist by others in addition to rape each other.
not just street children are victims , but also others .
It is no secret that a person who rapes a child as a person who is not only that rape is the ultimate violence. I personally submit to this shameful act governed by the dynamic unconscious to make it submit to the commission of the act unconsciously own damages because he wants to satisfy the wishes of the repressed has. 
 it's a sovage act, how can they rape a boy or a girl aged 5 or 3 or 7 .....years old,it's a Lousiness  .
It is well known that the ongoing work by the law in Morocco expressly provides for the punishment of perpetrators of rape. Chapter 465 of the Penal Code is punishable with imprisonment of five to ten years of rape or attempted rape of any person male or female, with the use of violence. 
in my opinion, the criminal must be killed,not just put in prison for 20 years , because i don't think he is a human being like us, he is an animal, and even animal will feel embaressed if we compaire it with that criminal, he is nothing he deserve to be called "IT not HE".

short story

An old man was siting with his son at the age of 25 years ld in the train. it seemed a lot of excitment and curiosity on the face of the young man who was siting next to the window...

his hand out of the windows at the passing air and shouted :

         "Father,see all the treas are going behind!!"

the father smiled.

A couple were sitting next to them and listen to the whole conversation between the father and the son.they felt a little embaressed , a man aged 25 years was actting like a baby!!

He shouted again :

      "Dad,look at the pond and animals, see the clouds are moving with 

       the train"

the couple watching the young man again.

Than it started raining, and water drops falling at the hands of the young man and filld with joy and shouted again:

      "Dad it rains,the water is touching me, see my father!!"

at this moment the couple asked the old man :

    " why don't you visit a doctor and get treatment for your son?!"

the old man answered:

      " we are coming from the hospital where my son got his eyes for the first time in his life." 
         ALWAYS REMAMBER: Do not draw conclusions until you
                                                             know the facts.

Friendship

What is friendship?:

It is an in-depth relationship combining trust, support, communication, loyalty, understanding, empathy, and intimacy.

These are certainly aspects of life that all of us crave.

Being able to trust and relax with your friend is a big part of friendship.

Building a friendship from casual friends. :

Building  friendships takes time. Friendships  require self-disclosure so any friendship has risks, Talking and listening builds friendships. Friendships require equality and loyalty from friends.

Friendships do end.:

Friendships may not last. Friendships can lose importance and die gradually. Some friendships end abruptly with unresolved conflict. The worst enemy of friendships is change by one or both friends. There is usually pain with the loss of friendship.

Setting Limits in Friendships :

Friendships as well as all other relationships must have limits. You set limits with your friends because you care for them and your relationship with them, not because you don't.

why do we learn a lagauge?

Learning a foreign language takes time and dedication. The reasons below may help to convince you to take the plunge, if such persuasion is needed. Some reasons are practical, some aspirational, some intellectual and others sentimental, but whatever your reasons, having a clear idea of why you're learning a language can help to motivate you in your studies.
     So, why should I learn a laguage?
        

Emigration

When you move to a different country or region, learning the local language will help you to communicate and integrate with the local community. Even if many of the locals speak your language, for example if your L1 is English and you move to the Netherlands, it's still worth your while learning the local language. Doing so will demonstrate your interest in and commitment to the new country. 

Family and friends

If your partner, in-laws, relatives or friends speak a different language, learning that language will help you to communicate with them. It will also give you a better understanding of their culture and way of thinking.

Culture

Maybe you're interested in the literature, poetry, films, TV programs, music or some other aspect of the culture of people who speak a particular language and want to learn their language in order to gain a better understanding of their culture.

Travel

Many English speakers seem to believe that wherever you go on holiday you can get by speaking English, so there's no point in learning any other languages. If people don't understand you all you have to do is speak slowly and turn up the volume. You can more or less get away with this, as long as you stick to popular tourist resorts and hotels where you can usually find someone who speaks English. However, if you want to venture beyond such places, to get to know the locals, to read signs, menus, etc, knowing the local language is necessary.

Study or research

You may find that information about subjects you're interested in is published mainly in a foreign language. Learning that language will give you access to the material and enable you to communicate with fellow students and researchers in the field.

Work

If your work involves regular contact with speakers of foreign languages, being able to talk to them in their own languages will help you to communicate with them. It may also help you to make sales and to negotiate and secure contracts. Knowledge of foreign languages may also increase your chances of finding a new job, getting a promotion or a transfer overseas, or of going on foreign business trips.

Studying abroad

If you plan to study at a foreign university, college or school, you'll need a good knowledge of the local language, unless the course you want to study is taught through the medium of your L1. Your institution will probably provide preparatory courses to improve your language skills and continuing support throughout your main course.
                  these are some of the reasons why you should learn other langages, but there still other, maybe if you ask some one why do learn foreign language he will say" because i love doing this!!!..." it's simple he loves doing this because language is the way that people use to exprece themselves! and  by learning it you can ynderstand your own language, i also believe that when somebody at least tries to learn the language of the country they are visiting it shows a lot of respect. People really appreciate it. in the end you'll have much fun by learning it!!!!....

Sciatica

Sciatica  or  low  back  pain  following  sciatic  nerve  territory  S1 or L5 spinal reached  at  the  spine  or  its  immediate  vicinity  It is  a  common  disease: it affects  5 to 10% of  patients  with  back  pain .

Age, stress, smoking and a job involving movement of the back increases the risk of sciatica .

The pain is typically intermittent, of one side of the lumbar spine radiating into the toes,They can be triggered by sitting  (especially by car). 

hunger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Try to imagine what it would be like if you were hungry and no food was available. None. Your body starts to feed on its own fat and body tissues. If you don’t eat for a long time, you may lose about 50 percent of your body weight. Your skin becomes thin, stiff, pale, and cold. Your hair becomes dry and sparse and falls out easily. After about 8 to 12 weeks without food, you starve to death.

Hungry people live everywhere: in mountains, plains, coasts and islands. There are hungry people in every region of the world. Here’s how the numbers break down: 

Sub-Saharan Africa: 204 million
Asia/Pacific: 156 million
India: 221 million
China: 142 million
Latin America/Caribbean: 53 million
Near East/North Africa: 39 million
Countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union: 28 million
Other industrialized countries: 9 million 
The causes of hunger  include famine, poverty, malnutrition, just to name a few.  Hunger is  becoming an issue we can't stop.  More and more people each year are dying of  hunger.  The death rate is astonishing.  It is amazing how something as simple as brittle  food can affect the world and become such a huge world issue.  You may find the answer to be quite simple.

homeless children

Thousands of children are left on the streets to deal with their sorrows and harsh living conditions. Shattered dreams, abuse of all kinds and lack of affection are the only reality they know. The Morocco Times highlights the important factors that lead these children to be on the street. 
this problem is not only in morocco, we find it in south africa, india,......!!most of children leave in the streets they don't have a normaly childhood.
we can't feel there situation better than them, what do think of knowing some of there opinion?! so that we can understand them more!:
"should i tell u what we suffer from?!! well if u don't see it i can tell u than, we suffer from hunger,we deal with our sorrows and harsh leaving conditions , we know just Shattered dreams, abuse of all kinds and lack of affection , we feel abandoned and have lost all trust in adults ....!! and how can we forget this just for a whil aaaah!! we take drugs to provent our selves from commiting a crime our future is dark and unpromising All that matters to us is day-to-day survival, something to eat, something to wear, and somewhere to sleep. There is no space or time for childhood. Every one of us has a different story but in the end we are homless children"
what do you think now? how do you feel when you reead these words, full of sadness and  sufferance  ....etc!! ? No need to unswer, silence also can exprece!!

 

william shakespeare

Born probably on April 26th, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon and died April 23rd, 1616 in the same city, is considered as one of the biggest poets, the playwrights and the writers of the English culture. He is considered as his control(master's degree) of the poetic and literary forms, as well as his capacity to represent the aspects of the human nature.
Eminent face(figure) of the western culture, Shakespeare continues to influence the current artists. He is translated in a large number of languages(tongues) and his rooms(parts,plays) are regularly played all around the world. Shakespeare is one of the rare playwrights to have practised as well the comedy as the tragedy.
Shakespeare wrote thirty seven dramatic works between 1580s and 1613. But the exact chronology of its rooms(parts,plays) is still subject to discussion. However, the volume of its creations does not appear as exceptional compared to the criteria of time(period).

how to choose a true friend?

1

Take the time to think about what a true friend means to you. It's not as obvious as you may think. You may need someone who's artistic and creative while someone else needs a person who loves to be active.

2

Pay attention to your comfort level when you're with a person. A true friend makes you feel at ease. Someone who bombards you with negative comments, criticizes rather than encourages and pushes you to do things you don't want to do will never be a true friend.

3

Identify your differences of opinion. Arguments make a healthy friendship because they force you to think differently about things. But we all have our threshold. If someone has nasty things to say about your in-laws just because of their ethnic background, you're better off looking for friendship somewhere else.

                                  

the most beautiful city in the word!

Tight streets, a famous university and glimpses of parks, commons and courtyards dominate Cambridge, England. North of London, the city is accentuated by the River Cam and buildings both new and old, such as historic King's College Chapel and Cambridge University's modern Centre for Mathematical Sciences.

Access program's experience

it's been two years ago that i'm studing english in Access program, this program which helped us to improve our skills and to be able to talk with comfedence in english , not just this , it helped us also to make new friends , meet new people , to know mor things about USA and its culture.

here we felt like one family , no one is better than the other : teachers or students we are the same!.
  bref, we benifit alot from this program, so thanks to the teacher who did their best and came every sunday morning to teach us for free!
                               thanks to Access program

salma

hello !  my name's salma from morocco i'm 17 years old ,khemisset city , i study in moussa ibn noussair high school /first year bacaloriate; i created this blog to share with u all the things that seems importent to know , and my interestes , and i hope u like them ^^ and u can tell me if u don't :) by writing a comment