THE BATH.
Bathing is one of the greatest luxuries enjoyed by the people of Egypt.
The inhabitants of the villages of this country, and those persons who
cannot afford the trifling expense incurred in the public bath, often
bathe in the Nile. Girls and young women are not unfrequently seen thus
indulging themselves in the warm weather, and generally without any
covering; but mostly in unfrequented places. The rich, I have before
mentioned, have baths in their own houses; but men who have this
convenience often go to the public bath; and so also do the ladies, who,
on many occasions, are invited to accompany thither their female
friends.
There are, in Cairo, between sixty and seventy “Hammáms,” or baths, to
which the public have access for a small expense. Some of these are for
men only; others, only for women and young children; and some for both
sexes; for men during the forenoon, and in the afternoon for females.
When the bath is appropriated to women, a napkin, or any piece of linen
or drapery is hung over the entrance, to warn the men from entering: all
the male servants having gone out a short time before; and females
having taken their places. The front of the bath is generally ornamented
in a manner similar to that in which most of the mosques are decorated,
but usually more fanciful, in red and white, and sometimes other
colours, particularly over and about the entrance. The building consists
of several apartments, all of which are paved with marble, chiefly
white, with an intermixture, in some parts, of black marble, and small
pieces of fine red tile, in the same manner as the durká′ah of a room in
a private house, of which a sketch has been inserted in the Introduction
to this work. The inner apartments are covered with domes, which have a
number of small, round, glazed apertures, for the admission of light.
The materials chiefly employed in the construction of the walls and
domes are bricks and plaster, which, after having been exposed to the
steam that is produced in the bath when it is in use, are liable to
crack and fall if the heat be intermitted even for a few days. A sákiyeh
(or water-wheel), turned by a cow or bull, is constructed upon a level
with the higher parts of the building, to raise water from a well or
tank for the supply of the boiler, etc.
The bath is believed to be a favourite resort of ginn (or genii), and
therefore when a person is about to enter it, he should offer up an
ejaculatory prayer for protection against evil spirits, and should put
his left foot first over the threshold. For the same reason, he should
not pray nor recite the Kur-án in it. On entering, if he have a watch,
and a purse containing more than a trifling sum of money, he gives these
in charge to the “m’allim” (or keeper of the bath), who locks them in a
chest: his pipe, and sword (if he have one), he commits to a servant of
the bath, who takes off his shoes, and supplies him with a pair of
wooden clogs; the pavement being wet. The first apartment is called the
“meslakh.” It generally has two, three, or four “leewáns,” similar to
mastab′ahs, or considerably wider, cased with marble, and a fountain
(called “faskeeyeh”) of cold water, which rises from an octagonal
basement constructed of stone cased with marble, etc. (similar to that
in the inner apartment represented in a section accompanying this
description), in the centre. One of the leewáns, being designed for the
accommodation of persons of the higher and middle orders, is furnished
with mattresses and cushions: upon the other, or others, which are for
the lower orders, there is usually no furniture excepting mats. In many
baths there is also, in the meslakh, a small kind of stall, for coffee.
[Illustration:
Scale of feet.
PLAN OF A BATH.
]
In warm weather, the bathers mostly prefer to undress in the meslakh: in
winter, they undress in an inner, closed apartment, called the
“beytowwal;” between which and the first apartment is a short passage,
with two or three latrinæ on one side. “Beytowwal” signifies “first
chamber;” and this name is given to the chamber here mentioned because
it is the first of the warm apartments; but it is less warm than the
principal apartment, of which it is the ante-chamber. In general, it has
two mastab′ahs, one higher than the other, cased with marble like the
pavement. The higher accommodates but one person; and is for the higher
classes: the other is sufficiently large for two. When the former is
occupied, and another high seat is wanted, two or three mattresses are
placed one upon another on the lower mastab′ah, or on the leewán (or
raised part of the floor). A seggádeh (or small prayer-carpet) is spread
on the mastab′ah for a person of the higher orders. The bather receives
a napkin in which to put his clothes; and another to put round his
waist: this reaches to the knees, or a little lower; and is termed
“mahzam”: a third, if he require it, is brought to him to wind round his
head, in the manner of a turban, leaving the top of the head bare; a
fourth to put over his chest, and a fifth to cover his back. It is
generally a boy, or beardless young man, who attends the bather while he
undresses, and while he puts on his mahzam, etc., etc.: he is called a
“láwingee” (as the word is vulgarly pronounced), which is a corruption
of “leewángee,” or attendant of the “leewán.”[444]
[Illustration: SECTION OF THE HARÁRAH.]
When the bather has undressed, and attired himself in the manner above
described, the láwingee opens to him the door of the inner and principal
apartment, which is called “harárah.” This, in general, has four low
leewáns, like those of most rooms in private houses, which give it the
form of a cross; and, in the centre, a “faskeeyeh” (or fountain) of hot
water, rising from a small shallow basin in the middle of a high
octagonal seat, cased with white and black marble, and pieces of red
tile. The harárah, together with several chambers connected with it, may
generally be described as occupying almost an exact square. The
beytowwal is at one of the angles. Two small chambers, which adjoin each
other, and occupy a second angle of the square, contain, the one, a
“maghtas,” or tank, of warm water, to which there is an ascent of a few
steps; the other, a “hanafeeyeh,” consisting of two taps, projecting
from the wall; one of hot, and one of cold water, with a small trough
beneath; before which is a seat: the name of hanafeeyeh is commonly
given, not merely to the taps above mentioned, but to the chamber which
contains them. A third angle of the square is occupied by two other
small chambers similar to those just described; one containing a second
maghtas, of water not quite so warm as the former: the other, a second
hanafeeyeh. Each maghtas is filled by a stream of water pouring down
from the dome of the chamber. The fourth angle of the square is
generally occupied by a chamber which has no communication with the
harárah; and which contains the fire over which is the boiler. The
central part of the harárah, its leewáns, and the small chambers
connected with it, are covered with domes, which have a number of small,
glazed apertures.
[Illustration: FOOT-RASPS—One quarter of the real size.]
The bather, having entered the harárah, soon perspires profusely, from
the humid heat which is produced by the hot water of the tanks and
fountain, and by the boiler. The operator of the bath, who is called
“mukeyyisátee,” immediately comes to him. If the bather be covered with
more than one napkin, the mukeyyisátee takes them off, and gives him a
wet mahzam; or the former mahzam is retained, and wetted. The bather
sits on the marble seat of the faskeeyeh, or lies upon a napkin on one
of the leewáns, or by the edge of one of the tanks, to submit to the
first operation, which is that of cracking his joints. The operator
cracks almost every joint of his frame: he rings the body, first one way
and then the other, to make several of the vertebræ crack: even the neck
is made to crack twice, by wrenching the head round, each way, which
produces a sensation rather alarming to an inexperienced person; and
each ear is generally twisted round until it cracks: the limbs are
wrested with apparent violence; but with such skill, that an untoward
accident in this operation is never heard of. The main object of this
process is to render the joints supple. The mukeyyisátee also kneads the
bather’s flesh. After this, or previously, he rubs the soles of his feet
with a kind of rasp, of baked clay. There are two kinds of rasps used
for this purpose: one is very porous and rough; and its rasping surface
is scored with several lines: the other is of a fine close clay; and the
surface with which the rubbing is performed is rendered rough
artificially: both are of a dark, blackish colour. Those which are used
by ladies are generally encased (the lower, or rasping, surface of
course excepted) in thin, embossed silver. The rougher rasp is of
indispensable utility to persons who do not wear stockings; which is the
case with most of the inhabitants of Egypt: the other is for the more
delicate; and is often used for rubbing the limbs, to render the skin
smooth. The next operation is that of rubbing the bather’s flesh with a
small, coarse, woollen bag.[445] This done, the bather, if he please,
dips himself in one of the tanks. He is next taken to a hanafeeyeh. A
napkin having been hung before the entrance to this, the mukeyyisátee
lathers the bather with “leef” (or fibres of the palm-tree) and soap and
sweet water, which last is brought in a copper vessel, and warmed in one
of the tanks; for the water of the hanafeeyeh is from a well, somewhat
brackish, and consequently not fit for washing with soap. The leef is
employed in the same manner as sponge is by us: it is not of the kind
produced by the palm-trees of Egypt, which is of a brown colour: that
used in the hammám is white; and is brought from the Hejáz. The
mukeyyisátee washes off the soap with water from the hanafeeyeh; and, if
required, shaves the bather’s arm-pits: he then goes, leaving him to
finish washing, etc. The latter then calls for a set of napkins, four in
number, and, having covered himself in the same manner as before
described, returns to the beytowwal; but first it is the custom of
persons of the more independent classes to give half a piaster, or a
piaster, to the mukeyyisátee, though it is not demanded.
In the beyt-owwal, a mattress is spread, for the bather, on the
mastab′ah, covered with napkins, and having one or two cushions at one
end. On this he reclines, sipping a cup or two of coffee, and smoking,
while a láwingee rubs the soles of his feet, and kneads his body and
limbs; or two láwingees perform these operations, and he gives to each
of them five or ten faddahs, or more. He generally remains half an hour,
or an hour, smoking his shibuk or sheesheh: then dresses and goes out.
The “háris,” who is the foreman, and who has the charge of drying the
napkins in the meslakh, and of guarding, brings him a looking-glass, and
(unless the bather have neither beard nor mustaches) a comb. The bather
asks him for his watch, etc., puts from one to four piasters on the
looking-glass, and goes. One piaster is a common sum to pay for all the
operations above described.
Many persons go to the bath twice a week: others, once a week, or less
frequently; but some are merely washed with soap and water, and then
plunge into one of the tanks, for which, of course, they pay less.
The women who can afford to do so visit the hammám frequently; but not
so often as the men. When the bath is not hired for the females of one
family, or for one party of ladies, exclusively, women of all conditions
are admitted. In general, all the females of a house, and the young
boys, go together. They take with them their own seggádehs, and the
napkins, basins, etc., which they require, and even the necessary
quantity of sweet water for washing with soap, and for drinking; and
some carry with them fruits, sweetmeats, and other refreshments. A lady
of wealth is also often accompanied by her own “belláneh,” or
“másh′tah,” who is the washer and tire-woman. Many women of the lower
orders wear no covering whatever in the bath; not even a napkin round
the waist: others always wear the napkin, and the high clogs. There are
few pleasures in which the women of Egypt delight so much as in the
visit to the bath, where they frequently have entertainments; and often,
on these occasions, they are not a little noisy in their mirth. They
avail themselves of the opportunity to display their jewels and their
finest clothes, and to enter into familiar conversation with those whom
they meet there, whether friends or strangers. Sometimes a mother
chooses a bride for her son from among the girls or women whom she
chances to see in the bath. On many occasions, as, for instance, in the
case of the preparations for a marriage, the bath is hired for a select
party, consisting of the women of two or more families; and none else
are admitted: but it is more common for a lady and a few friends and
attendants to hire a “khilweh”: this is the name they give to the
apartment of the hanafeeyeh. There is more confusion among a mixed
company of various ranks; but where all are friends, the younger girls
indulge in more mirth and frolic. They spend an hour or more under the
hands of the belláneh, who rubs and washes them, plaits their hair,
applies the depilatory,[446] etc. They then retire to the beytowwal or
meslakh, and there, having put on part of their dress, or a large loose
shirt, partake of various refreshments, which, if they have brought none
with them, they may procure by sending an attendant of the bath to the
market. Those who smoke take their own pipes with them. On particular
occasions of festivity, they are entertained with the songs of two or
more ’A′l’mehs, hired to accompany them to the bath.
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Footnote 444:
See the Plan, of which the following is an explanation.—A, General
entrance and vestibule. B, B, Meslakh. C, C, C, C, C, Leewáns. D,
Station of the M’allim. E, Faskeeyeh. F, Coffee-stall. G, G, Latrinæ.
H, Beytowwal. I, I, Leewán. K, K, Mastab′ahs. L, L, Harárah. M, M, M,
M, Leewáns. N, Faskeeyeh. O, O, Two chambers, each containing a
maghtas (or tank). P, P, Hanafeeyehs. Q, Place of the fire, over which
is the boiler.
Footnote 445:
This operation is termed “tekyees,” and the bag “kees el-hammán,”
hence the operator is called “mukeyyisátee,” or more properly,
“mukeyyis.”
Footnote 446:
The depilatory called “noorah,” which is often employed in the bath,
being preferred to the resin more commonly used, is composed, as I am
informed, of quick-lime with a small proportion (about an eighth part)
of orpiment. It is made into a paste, with water, before application;
and loosens the hair in about two minutes, when it is washed off.—See
Russell’s Aleppo, vol. i, pp. 134, 378, 379: 2nd edition.
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