The experience features static and dynamic visual elements along with a soundtrack depicting the role the hamam played in Acre at the time. The illustrations by artist Tanya Slotzky describe Acre during the Ottoman Period – daily life, the historical events and the hamam experience. The sculpted characters displayed in the rooms illustrate the activities typical of the hamam, the bath attendants who handled the various tasks and the people who bathed and spent time there. The culmination of the experience is in the hot room. The visitors enter the steam-filled room and "meet" the last bath attendant in action. Haj Bashir scrubs, massages, bats and lathers his customers, while he treats the visiting public to a steady stream of stories, facts, figures and gossip about how the hamam works, and what purpose it serves in the life of the community – all against the backdrop of the historical events that shaped Acre at the time.
The hamam's architectural structure and impressive spaces are highlighted through the use of dramatic lighting and become an integral part of the story and the history.
We invite you to join us for a visit to the hamam the way it was during its heyday, to meet the people that shaped its character – the bath attendants and the hedonists – and to listen to their stories of Acre during the height of Ottoman glory.
This experiential visit is offered in 8 languages: Hebrew, Arabic, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Russian. Visitors are provided with an electronic tour guide in their language of choice; to this end, they are requested to leave an identifying document which they get back at the end of the visit.
