Hammam with Fatima
Experience the everyday life of Moroccan women
"Let me take you to the local hammam, …
as I normally take my daughters."
The culture of women in Morocco is very rich. It is happening in the courtyards making Amlou, producing Argan oil or in intimate hammam sessions. As tourists it is normally quite difficult to get a glimpse into this hidden world.
Hammam with Fatima invites you into the inner circle of the family. A visit of the local Hammam is the most intense cultural experience. Do not expect a calm day at spa. For Moroccan women the hammam is one of their few places of complete freedom: to meet your girlfriends, gently clean your skin and catch up on the latest gossip.
A unique experience
Enter a previously unexplored world
Hammam with Fatima is takes you to the local hamam. You'll receive a traditional scrub with natural soap, mask with henna and rhassoul and a gentle massage with love. Afterwards we would be glad to invite you for tea in our home.
We provide everything you need, take care of you and are happy to answer all your questions.
Towels, bath slippers, beauty products are all included. We are spending around 2 hours together, depending on how much we chat. You only need to bring clean clothes for after the hammam.
Enjoy a unique experience and support a local family directly:
250 DH per person (ask for group discount)
Hammam with Fatima is a social project. Mama Fatima is not able to speak any other language than Arabic but her daughters are happy to translate and her European neighbour helps with her entrepreneurial spirit. Together we manage to get all our costumers happy.
How it Works
We take care of you from beginning till the end
Introduction
“Without explanations a moroccan hammam can be overwhelming.”
We pick you up, give you an introduction to the traditional hammam ritual, explain all the natural products used and give a short background to our project and us personally.
Hammam
"Hammams are one of the few places of complete freedom for women in Morocco."
The local hammam is a well frequented place. Unlike the European spas, it is not quiet at all. Between hot water, beauty masks and intense scrubs the latest gossip is exchanged.
Moroccan Tea
"Moroccan tea is an art and a skill that is learned over time and brings people togehter."
After speeding some time naked in a hot steam together, all cultural and language barriers are overcome and a variety of questions is discussed during tea.
I absolutely loved it!
"Me and my friends enjoyed the visit with Fatima a lot. It was very intimate and even though we had a litte language barrier we found always a way to communicate."
Nicole L.
So much love
"Fatima does the massage with a lot of love! Directly supporting her
and her family is a great benefit of the unique hammam experience!"
Riccarda B.
Homemade Tajine
"The Moroccan hospitality is so wonderful. After spending some time with Fatima and her daughters in the hot steam we returned the next day for dinner. mmmh, the homemade tajine was so wonderful."
Bettina M.
I support social tourisme
"Normally tourism is just a profit for big international companies, where as the local community struggles with the consequences. This project is trying to help a local family to get a chance to compete. Although it is small, helping one family already makes a difference and can lead as example for other women."
Natalie B.
- Our ProjectEncourage women to help themself
Hi, we are Nina, Fatima and Amina
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Last November I moved here from Switzerland. By learning Arabic I had the wonderful possibility to get a glimpse into the normally hidden world of women in Morocco. From the beginning I was impressed by the strength, freedom and spirit in these female societies. Quickly I started to understand the obstacles, such as lack of employment offers and analphabetism rates of over 30%. But in Essaouira there is also the huge opportunity of having many visitors just in front of your door all year around. By sharing knowledge, Hammam with Fatima is building the entrepreneurial spirit within the community and thereby provides a possibility to earn money independently. For me and many other women helping us, it's a social project. We don't earn with it, all the money stays within the family of Fatima.
Diversity as Core Strength
We combine the knowledge of different generations: Amina, 17 year old high school student, translates Arabic fluently into English and French and learned to deal with costumers and partners. Fatima prepares all our things and pours all her love and hospitality into the hammam visit. She has the ability and gentleness to feel your needs, even if she does not unterstand you. Grandma Ines gives us the old beauty recipes that have been passed from generation to generation. And me, Nina, I help with the concept and marketing.
All together we managed so far to get all our costumers happy and we are trying to improve our project every day. So please never hesitate to tell us how we can improve.
Thank you for the feedback!
Natural Morroccan Beauty Tradition
The knowledge is passed down over generations of women
Black Soap
To prepare the skin for the scrub
The Moroccan black soap is a 100% natural product. Locals call it „savon beldi“, which is arabic for bio/organic. Unlike European soaps it is not a hard bar nor gel/ liquid. It has a thick, soft butter texture that is slippery to touch.
Black Soap is one of the side products of the Oil production. So it exists in Morocco on the bases of Olives or Argan. Like all soaps it is produced thanks to the chemical reaction of saponification. Black Soap is normally produced by the women in their homes. Depending on the Plants they use its color can vary from green on olive bases to a light braun on Argan bases.
Rassoul
A delicate soap alternative
Rassoul is extracted in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco (Jebel Rhassoul). The clay contains traces of many natural minerals like iron, silicon, sodium, magnesium, and pro-vitamins. It has been used by Moroccan women for centuries, to clean and treat their skin and hair. Usage varies from a mask for the face and hair to a poultice for the body.
Unlike shampoos and soaps, Rassoul does not contain any surfactants and cleans the skin only with a physical process. When mixed with water it rises to a soft paste. The very fine particles within the paste absorb impurities and grease. The application of Rassoul does not remove the natural protective film of the skin, which makes it a very gentle cleaning agent.
Henna
Appears in a variety of mixtures
Most of you will know Henna-Mixtures used for temporary tattooing. Especially in Morocco Henna has been used for centuries to dye skin, hair, and fingernails, as well as fabrics. But there are non-coloring henna mixture, which we are using for the hammam. Applied in small quantities, henna adds a healthy shine to your skin and is famous for its antibacterial qualities. .
Henna (Lawsonia inermis ) is a flowering plant that grows 3-5 meter high and comes from the sole species of the Lawsonia genus. The leaves of the plant are in opposite pairs and vary in sizes from approximately 2-4 cm long. The English name "henna" comes from the Arabic (ḥinnā).
Make a Reservation
Enjoy: hammam session with traditional beauty treatment and tea at our home
Bring: 2h of your time and clean clothesCosts: 250 DH per person (ask for group discounts)
Meet: when and where it suits you best (e.g. Bab Marrakech or your hotel)
Visit: Hammam Chbanat in Medina or Erraounak in Nouvelle Ville
Rue Moulay Ismail
Essaouira
MarocMon-Sun 10am - 9pm+212 656-667964
Thank you Souki Mehdaoui
Hammam with Fatima © 2018