Marisa Casado - 2009-09-08
As the only Turkish bath house of its kind in Madrid, the Medina Mayrit urban spa offers the perfect retreat to relax and escape from it all.
The Medina Mayrit bath house located in the heart of the Spanish capital is a peaceful and relaxing oasis that transports visitors back to the Al Andalus era that saw parts of the Iberian Peninsula becoming governed by the Moors.
At Medina Mayrit, you’ll find interiors adorned with Spanish Muslim (Mudejar) décor, air fragrant with oils and essences and soothing Sufí music that merges with the gentle sound of lapping water. There’s even the chance to sample some of the flavours of the region with a tearoom and restaurant where guests can enjoy Turkish dishes accompanied by traditional music and dance performances.
Located within a 300 year old well, Medina Mayrit is imbued with its own unique history, giving the place an added sense of charm and magic.Medina Mayrit translates as “City of Madrid”, the name given by the Kingdom of Toledo to the area between the current Almudena Cathedral and the Plaza Jacinto Benavente (where the bath house exists today) between the 8th and 12th centuries. The site of the Medina Mayrit seems to be a long-established meeting place of Muslim, Christian and Jewish cultures.
Much of the restoration work has made use of the original features and typical materials of the era, so that despite having all the trappings of a modern-day spa there are echoes of the past wherever you look. With just a little imagination you can transport yourself to a setting from A Thousands And One Nights.
A tour of the Hammam
The Hammam is the original name given to traditional Turkish bath houses. Tours of the Medina Mayrit are free of charge and usually take around 90 minutes, taking in three separate rooms, each with its own water temperatures; the warm water tepidarium, the hot water caldarium and the cold water frigidarium. This combination of hot and cold water, combined with the ambience created by the lighting, aromas and music, are all designed to relax the body and senses and, in turn, stimulate the circulation.
The tour includes a session in the Turkish steam room and a visit to the tea room and water source, where there is the chance to experience various treatments including a relaxation massage, an exfoliation massage and aromatherapy sessions.
The tours come highly recommended, offering the perfect formula to unwind and appreciate the relaxing sensations offered by a traditional Hammam.
Andalusian taste and eastern dance
Under the watchful eye of Chef Isabel Omar, the Medina Mayrit restaurant offers a menu of contrasting culinary styles based on, or inspired by, traditional Al Andalus recipes. The dishes act as perfect examples of the ways in which various cultural influences merged to create new culinary traditions in the Iberian Peninsula at this time. The menu offers an outstanding range of styles and flavours with an equal measure of dishes influenced by Turkish and Andalusian cuisine. Examples include aubergines in honey, Cordoban salmorejo [a thick tomato soup], lamb tagine with prunes and steamed sea bream stuffed with nuts and spices.
Dinner at Medina Mayrit is a memorable experience, particularly for first-time visitors, and prices are more than reasonable. Particularly recommended for a special occasion is the aptly named “Thousand and One Nights menu”, priced at 39 Euros and comprising two starters, a fish or meat main course, dessert and tea. On certain days, dinner is also accompanied by live eastern music and traditional performances of belly dancing, sword dancing and Darbuka.
If, after all this, you’re still left wanting more, you could do worse than while away an hour or so in the cosy and relaxing surroundings of the Medina Mayrit Tetería (tearoom), where you can enjoy a wide variety of teas and traditional middle eastern sweets and delicacies. Guests visiting the Tetería during weekends and bank holiday afternoons are also treated to performances of traditional oriental dance.
As well as its obvious spa resort status, Medina Mayrit also represents an exciting new multicultural meeting place for Madrid. A place to be pampered, to socialise, relax and unwind, to enjoy the traditional flavours of an Al Andalus menu and the aroma of a cup of Moroccan-style moruno tea whilst kicking back and enjoying some great music and dance.
Medina Mayrit
Location: c/ Atocha 14 (Metro: Sol o Tirso de Molina)
Reservations: 902 333 334
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