The sacred powers of steam

9. The sacred powers of steam:

There are rituals that were rarely written down.

In the mist of the hammam, or in the stillness of the night, was one of these: the sacred veil of steam. A ritual for cleansing, beauty and inner strength.

In Avicenna's Canon of Medicine (11th century) and Jurjani's Zakhireye Kharazmshahi (12th century), it is mentioned how warmth and the steam of herbs could be used to “cleanse the womb of cold and moisture.” It restores a woman's strength – short lines in medical works, but for women a whole living heritage.