Culture
Can the Ancient Bathhouses of Tunis Survive?
It’s getting harder for the owners of hammams, or traditional bathhouses, to turn a profit. Activists hope to sustain an important part of Tunisian culture.
Twenty-five-year-old Rawa Guenichi walks into the Zitouni bathhouse in the center of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. The black-and-white stone gate tells passersby there is a hammam here—no sign necessary.
In the changing room, two women sit with their eyes closed and towels wrapped around their hair. The walls and domed ceiling are painted white. Wooden slippers nestle in blue and green tiled niches. Locals know this bathhouse is for women only; men would never dream of entering.