A hammam or communal bath is very cultural in Morocco. We got to partake in one in Agadir.
The hammam came out of the Roman period in Morocco and then continued with the influence of Islam for purification and worship. See link below for more history on hammams.
The one we visited was only for women since all are segregated for women and men. This one to me seemed small, even though I had never been in one. We went into the small lobby; sat and of course had some mint tea; then we walked up 4 flights of stairs to the very top of the building. We went through the steam room, black soap application, exfoliating, rinsing and then you had a clay mask and sat some more in the steam room before being rinsed. The final step was "resting" while drinking water. The whole process took about an hour. Definitely a refreshing process and makes you ready to lay down and just sleep after a long day of teaching.
From what our host shared, locals still visit the hammams regularly for cleansing and socializing. It is very economical.
Check out this article to learn more about the history of hammams in Morocco and the details of the process.
https://touringinmorocco.com/moroccan-hammam-all-you-need-to-know/
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