What's the etiquette inside a hammam, in detail?

The hammam is one of the great rituals of Moroccan life, and I genuinely think a traveller hasn't fully touched the culture until they've been to one — so let me walk you through it properly, because the etiquette trips people up. First and most important: hammams are strictly gender-separated, either by having separate men's and women's sections, or by alternating hours, or being single-sex entirely. You go with your own gender. And nudity: in a traditional public hammam you keep your underwear on — bottoms stay on, always. Going fully nude is not done and would make everyone uncomfortable. Women typically keep underwear bottoms on and may go topless or keep a top on depending on the room; men keep shorts or underwear on. When in doubt, keep more on, not less.

There are two worlds here, and you should pick knowingly. The traditional neighbourhood public hammam is cheap, communal, and authentic — locals scrubbing, mothers and daughters, lots of steam and chatter and buckets. You bring your own kit: a kessa glove (the rough mitt), black soap (savon beldi, an olive-based paste), a plastic mat or stool, a bucket or two, shampoo, a towel, and a change of underwear. You can buy black soap and a kessa for a pittance at any nearby shop. The other world is the tourist or spa hammam, where everything is provided, it's plusher and private, and a treatment is performed on you for a fee. Both are wonderful; the public one is the real cultural experience, the spa one the gentle introduction.

The ritual itself follows a rhythm. You move into the hot, steamy room and let your body warm and your pores open — don't rush this. You wet down, then coat yourself in the black soap and leave it to work for several minutes. Then comes the scrub: either you do it yourself with the kessa glove or, in a public hammam, you can pay a tayyaba (an attendant) a modest fee to scrub you, and I'd recommend it at least once because the amount of skin that comes off is honestly astonishing and you can't replicate it yourself. You rinse with bucketfuls of warm water, often follow with rhassoul (a mineral clay) for hair and skin, rinse again, and emerge feeling reborn. Move calmly, mind the slippery floors, and keep your voice down — it's a communal, almost meditative space, not a party.

A few courtesies that matter: don't stare, give people their privacy even in a shared room, and don't photograph — phones have no place inside a hammam, full stop. If an attendant scrubs you, tip them; it's expected and they often work for tips. Drink water before and after because the heat dehydrates you, and don't go on a very full or very empty stomach. Take it slow your first time and don't be shy about asking the attendant what to do — they've guided countless nervous first-timers and are kind about it. Do it once and most travellers are converts; it's relaxation, exfoliation, and a window into everyday Moroccan life all at once.