Power cuts help revive Syrian tradition of public bathhouses

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — At Hammam Bakri in Damascus’ Old City, Syrian men wrapped in towels from the waist down lie down on a scalding marble floor. Masseurs vigorously scrub their skin with a soap-soaked loofah and wash them down with hot water. Having fallen victim to modernization, Syria’s traditional public bathhouses, known as Hammamat, are picking up steam again due to electricity cuts during a particularly cold winter. With soaring fuel prices and barely enough electricity for hot water at home, Damascus’ public baths say they are doing brisk business. They say the difficult times are helping keep the tradition alive.