: Arab [i]Hammams[/i] Reopen In Madrid

There’s very little obvious evidence left in Spain of the 700 years of Muslim rule over the subcontinent, as everything that reminded the new Christian rulers of their country’s Muslim past was wiped clean by the reconquista. Muslims brought a degree of civilization to Spain, with numerous libraries, mosques, and public baths, which were subsequently destroyed, converted, or covered over, and most modern Spaniards know little about their Moorish past. But 900 years after the fall of Muslim Spain, an underground hammam (bath) has reopened in Toledo, giving locals there a glimpse of their Arab past. “You have to remember that this was the city of the Inquisition,” says Victor Garcia, the entrepreneur who reopened the underground, scented pools in Toledo, Spain. “Every trace of Islam was eradicated.” While there are many ruins of ancient baths throughout Spain, the Toledo bath is the first to be restored to operating condition and opened to the public.

Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.