Marrakech city guide - hammams

Hammams, or public bathhouses, are a part of the day to day life of Moroccans. A hammam is the Moroccan version of a Turkish bath and should not be confused with a luxury beauty spa.

Traditionally these were reserved for the more affluent members of society, and many upper class Moroccan homes had their own hammam baths. Most Hotels & Ryads member riads have renovated their own hammams and guests are free to enjoy these.

Make sure to bring everything you would need in your own bath, and you can purchase a kiss (scrubbing mitten) and a sabon Bildi (black olive oil soap) at any grocery store or in most of the hammams. Once you arrive at the hammam you can request a tayeba, an assistant that will bring you hot buckets of water and scrub you down if you wish.

Hammams consist of three rooms. The first room is the least steamy and is for bathing. The second and third rooms are hotter and are for massaging and relaxing.

some addresses ...

Le Dar el Bacha
20 rue Fatima Zorha
Open for men from 19h to midnight and from noon to 19h30 for women

Hammam el Basha
Near Djemaa el-Fna
(large and popular)

Hammam Semlalia
On the Road to Casablanca
(at the end of Avenue Mohammed V) about 500 meters from the stoplight

Hammam Majorelle
57, Rouidate, about 150 meter from the Majorelle Gardens
Tele : 0044 42 60 25

Hammam Iman Raha
On the Road to Safi, near the mosque