Trump says Cambodia and Thailand agree to begin ceasefire talks    Five more Palestinians, including two children, die of starvation in Gaza    Saudi Arabia arrests over 22,000 violators of residency, labor, and border security laws    Saudi Arabia's watermelon harvest tops 610,000 tons    Indonesia praises France's recognition of Palestine, calls on others to follow suit    Fitch affirms Saudi Arabia's A+ credit rating with stable outlook    SCO media and think tank summit builds bridges to confront shared challenges    Over 424,000 Saudis enroll in AI training as SDAIA scales national transformation    Muslim World League chief meets Afghan ministers to discuss Islamic unity and extremism    Saudi Arabia restores over 170 hectares of mangrove forests in major reforestation projects    25 hospitality facilities shut down in Makkah over licensing and safety violations    Saudi Arabia sees 144% surge in new mining exploitation licenses in H1 2025    Harbinger Group becomes first foreign owner in Saudi Pro League    Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies at 71 in Florida    Female HR exec resigns after viral Coldplay concert embrace with CEO    Ithra announces open call for 7th Ithra Art Prize with expanded exhibition format    Al Ahli steps in for Al Hilal at Saudi Super Cup in Hong Kong    Music stars and fans pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne    Shahad Ameen's Hijra selected for 82nd Venice Film Festival spotlight    Al Hilal withdraws from 2025 Saudi Super Cup in Hong Kong; SAFF to consider Al Ahli as replacement    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Historic bathhouse offers respite from Gaza's hardships
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 26 - 05 - 2015

Palestinians relax after finishing their bath in Hamam Al-Sumara bathhouse in Gaza City. After dawn prayers in Gaza, a few dozen men descend a metal staircase to gather in the steamy confines of Hamam Al-Sumara, a centuries-old bathhouse where residents of the isolated territory find respite and relief. — AP
GAZA CITY — After dawn prayers in Gaza, a few dozen men descend a metal staircase to gather in the steamy confines of Hamam Al-Sumara, a centuries-old bathhouse where residents of the isolated territory find respite and relief.
Stained glass windows in the central dome allow rays of light to pierce the clouds of steam. On the heated marble platforms below, men recline between visits to the steam room or massages.
“I come to this bath for treatment of diseases such as muscle spasms or cramps, getting rid of inflammation,” said Shafiq Al-Aqqad. He also comes here to celebrate happy occasions, like weddings.
Historic bathhouses like this one can be found across the Middle East, where they preserve a tradition of public bathing that goes back to ancient times. Hamam Al-Sumara, Arabic for the Samaritans' Bath, dates back 1,000 years but has been renovated, most recently in the 1990s by the Palestinian Authority.
Gaza City used to boast a half dozen bathhouses, but most were dismantled to make room for the city's rapid expansion in the last century, including after the 1948 war, when some 200,000 Palestinians came to Gaza after fleeing or being expelled from their homes in what is now Israel. Gaza had previously been home to just 60,000 people.
In more recent times, the surviving bathhouse has actually benefited from the conflict. A blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007 has made it virtually impossible for most residents to leave the narrow coastal strip. Civil servants working for the Western-backed Palestinian Authority meanwhile still receive their salaries despite being ordered not to work with Hamas authorities. The result, bathhouse owners say, is that clients have more time on their hands and fewer ways to spend it.
Visitors pay around $5 to enter the bathhouse, with separate times reserved for men and women. Wearing slippers and towels wrapped around their waists, the men begin with a bracing visit to the steam room, before dousing themselves with cold water. Attendants offer full body scrubs with exfoliating gloves, as well as massages and more specific treatments.
“We deal with several cases of pain in the backbone or legs,” said Mohammed Masoud, a physical therapist, as he pressed on the shoulders of a client.
The bathers can then soak in a warm pool beneath the dome before retiring to a lounge area for tea or coffee. — AP


Clic here to read the story from its source.