Raising awareness for the hammam as a cultural heritage

Within the framework of the Euromed Cultural Heritage IV program, the European Union carried out a development project entitled Hammamed. The main aim is to raise awareness of the hammam as a cultural heritage in the Mediterranean area, through conferences, workshops, dissemination activities…

Nadia Ben Sellam - Rabat, Al-Hayat

Hammam Saffarin in Fez and Hammam Ammuneh in Damascus are two important examples of “the Hammam social institution” considered to be object of cultural value and great significance in Islamic societies. Facing change of social patterns in two different manners, these two Moroccan and Syrian public bath houses were selected to be part of Hammamed project (2009-2011), implemented within the framework of Euromed Heritage IV program, with the objective of raising awareness on the importance of the hammam as a cultural and social heritage in the Mediterranean area, in its tangible and intangible aspects, and promoting hammams as an integrative part of the shared memory in Islamic civilization and Mediterranean identity.

Khadija Kadiri, a 50-year-old woman, owns and manages a public bath in one of Rabat’s popular neighborhoods since 30 years. She has thus become cognizant of the social, economic, cultural and historical characteristics of public bath houses. Her astonishing description of such historical institution amazes listeners. With other members of the “Hammams’ owners and managers association” from Marrakech and Rabat, Kadiri, who achieved several studies about the Hammam institution, was invited to participate in a research and education training session around the theme of protecting the cultural heritage of Mediterranean hammams. Organized during the last month of November in the city of Fez, the workshop brought together Moroccan and foreign experts in the fields of urban development, sociology and architecture, as part of Hammamed EU-funded project (one million Euros) implemented in the framework of the Euromed Heritage IV program. The partnership of Hammamed project is headed by Oikodrom, the Vienna Institute for Urban Sustainability, in association with the University of Liverpool, the French Institute for Near East in Damascus and ADER (an agency specialized in the conservation and rehabilitation of the heritage city of Fez).

Public bath owned by Kadiri receives around 100 women per day. There are several reasons for its popularity among Moroccan women: the need for body exfoliation, relaxation, reducing rheumatism pain, entertainment, as well as social encounters. Public bath houses represent also a rite of passage for marriage, circumcision, Friday prays and the Hajj. Kadiri explains that along with humid walls subjected to steam-water and bodies seeking revitalization, the hammam constitutes a diminutive form of social life, repeating the popular adage “entering the bath differs from getting out of the bath.” That is to say: the hammam improves both the physical and the mental health of its users.

By inviting Kadiri, who possesses great knowledge of hammams, to participate in the Hammamed project, it seems clear that this European action has succeeded in selecting qualified Moroccan actors to contribute in raising awareness on the social and cultural heritage of traditional public bath houses.

Besides, around 30 students of the Schools of Architecture of Fez and Rabat were invited to broaden and deepen their knowledge and understanding of the public bath houses architecture. In fact, it has to be said that the architectural design of the public bath houses is not included in the architecture schools’ program in Morocco, even though Moroccan hammams have specific features; they are for instance different from Turkish hammams and are generally built near other patrimonial landmarks such as the mosque, the school, the old souk and the public bakery, as is the case with Hamma Saffarin. Hence, the importance of this training session organized to the profit of Moroccan youth.

Hammam Saffarin: a vital heritage
Research and training session in which Khadija Kadiri had taken part included meetings with Moroccan experts and supervisors of the Hammam Saffarin renovation project, as well as a visit to this public bath house that is currently closed due to renovation works undertaken by ADER, an agency working on renovating a group of selected historical hammams of the Old city, along with the Ministry of endowment and Islamic Affairs in Morocco, owner of the Hammam Saffarin.

Naima Lehbeel, the Hammamed project counselor at ADER, says that Architecture students were eager to learn about the hammam’s architectural characteristics, as spatial organization consists of a linear progression of rooms with varying temperatures: the sitting room (al-galsa), the cold room (al-barrani), the warm room (al-wasti) and the hot room (al-dakhli). Students contributed to draw up renovation scenarios of the hammam. Naima Lehbeel points out that participating students suggested implementing a small garden at the middle of the sitting room, in order to maximize pleasure of social encounters, adding that this action is part of the awareness campaign that the project aims to carry out. Lehbeel also stressed on the importance of quality of services provided in Moroccan hammams in order to increase the popularity of these kinds of spaces.

Admittedly, when Kadiri and her colleagues seem more preoccupied with problems related to management costs, project coordinator Heidi Dumreicher from Oikodrom explained that Hammamed project focuses mainly on the non financial aspect of hammams, which will eventually influence the financial profit of these spaces. According to Heidi Dumreicher, Moroccan hammams are not adequately appreciated by their users. For instance, services are provided with extremely low prices, reaching 1.5 Dollar. This is why local governments are called to increase their involvement in developing hammams, which are spaces that reinforce social interaction and allow better opportunities for women.

EU project team is focusing on providing expertise and accompaniment services for Saffarin project’s supervisors and workers. Hammamed’s objective is also to promote hammams renovation activities and to raise awareness on the vital cultural and social heritage of such spaces.

In the East, Hammamed project has led to successful results, as it allowed revitalizing public bath houses and opening up again the Syrian Ammouneh Hammam for women as well as other hammams. In Morocco, according to Heidi Dumreicher, Hammamed project helped modernizing the hammams through the promotion of an effective and integrated management, and modernized hygiene systems. It also ensured decent working and living conditions for employees, as well as sustainable development of the hammams. In short, Hammamed project, says Kadiri, provides necessary tools for strengthening the cultural and the social value of the hammams, for today and the future.

Check the website: "Euromed Heritage"