In Syria, customers are back in Aleppo's Bab al-Ahmar public bathhouse

At times during Syria's war, shortages of water, heating fuel and electricity reportedly drove people to the Damascus public bathhouses, but none of the customers at Bab al-Ahmar baths

Swaddled in white towels, the Mansour and Wafai families sat in an arched alcove of Aleppo’s Bab al-Ahmar public bathhouse, reviving their once-weekly tradition after years of war in Syria.
 

With steamy stone rooms, masseurs and traditional singers, the bathhouses have been a staple of Aleppo life for centuries. But located in the battle zone of the Old City, most had to close.
 

Fighting in Aleppo ended in late 2016, although it goes on elsewhere in Syria, and four of the city’s 50 or so bathhouses have now reopened. They are drawing back some old customers — and new ones