Hammam Exhibition in Fez

The heritage value of the Hammam will be highlighted during an exhibition around the social tradition and architectural features of the traditional baths, organised by the Hammamed project funded by the EU under the Euromed Heritage 4 programme.



A press release said the exhibition, to take place from 22 March to 10 April in the Moroccan city of Fez under the title “Hammam, hidden doors, living treasures” seeks to give an insight into the past, present and future of this very special place, with a focus on the present situation in Damascus, Fez and Cairo, through museum objects, panoramic photos, video installations, documentary films, architectural models and a participatory project.

The exhibition is designed as a contribution to the collective memory in the Mediterranean region on one hand, and as a participatory local process on the other. It shows the hammam with its architectural features, its social importance, its intergenerational values, its high gender qualities that make it a heritage site which deserves the attention of the European as well as of the Mediterranean public.

The event, involving local dwellers, hammam managers, artists, students, intellectuals and artisans, includes discussions about soap making, silk towels, hygiene and social rituals.

Hammamed, funded with a budget of € 1,193,470 for the period 2009-2012, is implemented by Austria, Morocco, Syria and the United Kingdom with the aim of raising awareness of the hammam as a cultural heritage for the Mediterranean area and beyond. It promotes an effective and integrated management for two selected hammams (Hammam Ammuna in Damascus and Hammam Saffarin in Fez) and encourages the knowledge of traditional social practices associated with the hammam in order to overcome constraints for actively using this kind of space, but also to enhance the knowledge about the unique architecture. The project also encourages social and economic side effects through the successful revitalisation and modernisation of hammams, with surrounding areas serving as an example of urban regeneration.