orientalcairocit00sladuoft

274 Oriental Cairo
The entrance is always so built that you cannot see
even into the reception-room, called ineslakh.
In expensive baths this is rather a rich apartment, surrounded
by broad couches or liwdns covered with white
marble, one of which is spread with luxurious cushions for
the richer patrons, while the others are merely covered
with mats. Sometimes they have handsome gilt screens
in front of the lizvdjtSy ,with singing birds in gilt cages
hanging from them. There is always a fine octagonal foun-
tain made of stone, cased with white marble, in the centre.
This is called the faskiya, and has quite a high jet of cold
water playing in it.
Sometimes these liwdns rest on two arches, like the suffehs
in private houses ; the slippers of the patrons are left under
them.
In hot weather the bathers generally undress in the
meslakh. In any case they take off their watches, purses,
and other valuables, and give them in charge to the vi'allim
or keeper of the bath. An inferior servant takes the shoes
and the pipe, or anything else which the patron may be
carrying. Clogs are put on in the ineslakh, because the
rest of the bath is generally flooded.
In the winter the bathers undress in the first of the warm
apartments, which is called the beyt-owwal. The word signifies
first chamber. It is not so hot as the principal bathroom
called the harara. In this ante-room there are generally two
inastabas or benches, one higher than the other, intended for
the more important patrons. The lower is generally large
enough for two persons. If two important people happen
to be there at the same time the lower viastaba is made as
high as the other by the use of mattresses. A seggada, or
small prayer-carpet, is spread on the tnastaba for a person
of high rank. The bather has several towels given him. In
one of them he puts his clothes, and another, called the
viaJizam, he uses as a waist-cloth. Some bathers also twist
a towel round their forehead and use other towels to cover
their chests and back. The young man or boy who attends
the bather while he is undressing is called the lawingi or