FRANCE: THE HAMMAM AT THE PARIS MOSQUE
by Kate Pocock
The Spa: Le Hammam steam baths at the Mosque de Paris, France’s oldest place of Islamic worship
The Location: 39, rue Geoffrey St-Hilaire on the Left Bank, about a 10-minute walk from Île St-Louis or Rue Mouffetard. Metro: Place Monge. The somewhat hidden Hammam entrance is behind the pastry counter in the mosque’s charming courtyard café.
The Environment: This 5th arrondissement neighbourhood holds some of Paris’s oldest attractions such as the ancient Roman amphitheatre (Arènes de Lutèce) and the 400-year-old Gobelins Tapestries workshops. Directly across from the Mosque is the vast Jardin des Plantes, originally planted as medicinal herb gardens in 1626.
The Distinction: The Paris Mosque is a good place for first Hammam experiences. Hammam, meaning “spreader of warmth” in Arabic, has also become synonymous with steam baths and bathing. Here, all nationalities and religions are welcome, as well as all shapes and sizes!
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