Paris is full of North African spas that don't figure in most
tourist guides.
 Hammams,
as they are called, have mosaic-tile steam rooms where you slather
yourself with olive oil-based soap, sweat, rinse, have your skin
buffed with a scratchy mitt, then get a massage. Afterward, you
retreat to a darkened room, lounge in a cotton robe, drink mint tea
from a silver pot and fall in and out of sleep.
"Hammam" means bath, bathroom or bathhouse. It comes from the Arabic
word hamm, which means warm or hot. Besides soothing and healing the
body, the hammam has a traditional aspectunity.
Before their weddings, for example, some brides-to-be visit the
hammam to bathe and have intricate henna designs drawn on their
hands and feet. Beyond the ritual, the hammam is also a place where
young and old mingle. And despite any friction between France and
its minorities, the hammam is a place where tensions melt away and
everyone is welcome.
Sampling Of Spas
Hammam Pacha, 147 rue Gabriel Peri in Saint-Denis, just north of
the city in a working-class suburb, is accessible on the Metro. Also
visit nearby Basilica of Saint-Denis, burial site of France's kings.
Clean, with mosaics and marble floors, this hammam is for women
only. Phone: 011-33-1-48-29-19-66.
Hammam Med Center, 43-45 rue Petit, in northeastern Paris.
Decorated with potted palms and blue-and-white tile, it's spotless,
though some may find the atmosphere less exotic than at Hammam
Pacha. Phone: 011-33-1-42-02-31-05.For women, Monday-Friday; coed
Saturday.
Les Bains du Marais, 31-33 rue des Blancs Manteaux in the chic
Marais district. Luxurious, tastefully decorated with soothing
golden tiles. Also sells a line of upscale bath products.
Reservations: 011-33-1-44-61-02-02. For hours, click on the "hammam"
button at www.lesbainsdumarais .com.
Paris Mosque, 39 rue Geoffroy Saint Hilaire on the Left Bank.
Even if you don't try its hammam, visit the cafe. Decorated like a
bazaar, the tearoom is popular with students from the nearby
university. Hammam usually is crowded; you may want to try another.
For women, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday; for men, Tuesday,
Sunday. Phone: 011-33-1-43-31-18-14.
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