Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hammams
These domed buildings have been part of the Moroccan urban landscape since the Almo-
hads, and every village aspires to a hammam of its own - often the only local source of hot
water. Traditionally they are built of mudbrick, lined with
tadelakt
(satiny hand-polished
limestone plaster that traps moisture) and capped with a dome with star-shaped vents to let
steam escape. The domed main room is the coolest area, with side rooms offering increas-
ing levels of heat to serve the vaguely arthritic to the woefully hung-over.
The boldly elemental forms of traditional hammams may strike you as incredibly mod-
ern, but actually it's the other way around. The hammam is a recurring feature of land-
scapes by modernist masters Henri Matisse and Paul Klee, and Le Corbusier's International
Style modernism was inspired by the interior volumes and filtered light of these iconic
domed North African structures.
Tadelakt
has become a sought-after surface treatment for
pools and walls in high-style homes, and pierced domes incorporated into the 'Moroccan
Modern' style feature in umpteen coffee-table books. To see these architectural features in
their original context, pay a visit to your friendly neighbourhood hammam - there's prob-
ably one near the local mosque, since hammams traditionally share a water source with
ablutions fountains.
Eight of the world's leading Islamic architectural scholars give you their best explanations in
Ar-
chitecture of the Islamic World: Its History and Social Meaning
by Oleg Grabar et al.
