Aleppo bathhouse boom as Syria crisis turns showers cold

"We mainly rely on electricity to heat water at home, but the electricity is cut off most of the time," said Mohammed Hariri from a crowded bathhouse where he had waited half an hour for his turn.

With their marble steam rooms, hexagonal fountains and distinctive domes, Aleppo's bathhouses have for centuries served as a social hub where men come together to wash, listen to music and even eat.

But shortages of water, fuel and electricity across war-torn Syria have also turned them into a refuge for those looking for a long, warm bath during the cold winter.

In Hammam al-Qawwas, one of more than 50 traditional bathhouses in Aleppo's Old City, diesel fuel and firewood are used to power furnaces providing hot water and steam.

Under its arched dome, men swaddled in towels sit in one of many side rooms, some singing traditional Arabic tunes as they scoop up hot water from stone basins.

In an adjoining area, masseurs use soap and loofahs to scrub clean clients lying flat on the marble floor, as restrictions against the coronavirus pandemic seem a world away.

Many of the structures were severely damaged during several rounds of battles between regime forces and rebels.

The 33-year-old who inherited the 14th-century bathhouse from his grandfather said he never thought business would bounce back.