Lounging against cool slabs of Jerusalem gold marble in nothing more than a batik sarong, the feeling is foreign, vulnerable even. But soon it becomes exotic, uninhibited, as a cloud of warm steam envelops you, the room filled with the intoxicating aromas of sweet orange, eucalyptus, and lemon.
Surinder Bains was inspired to build Miraj Hammam Spa on Vancouver’s South Granville Street ever since her first hammam experience in Paris in 1987. “In France, all kinds of different women—tall, stunning north African women; small, round, older Middle Eastern women; young modelesque types—walk around the hammam in their sarongs, or more often, completely in the nude. It was so beautiful to see all these women completely comfortable, liberated, in their own skin.” Miraj became a reality 12 years ago—the first of its kind in Canada—and soon a nearly 9,000-square-foot second location will open in Toronto’s financial district. The spa follows the ancient rituals of the Turkish bath, once also coined the “silent doctor” for steam’s therapeutic properties.
After the long, luxurious bath, at Miraj, you’ll then be invited to let your sarong billow to the floor so that a gentle gommage abrasion can be applied to the skin. The slick black slathering of Morrocan compressed-oil soap scores away any old follicles, and with a rinse, your body (and mind) is renewed.
