The bath of Al-Maskhoutin , “musk and clay”, a tanning bath or a waterfall bath located 25 km from the province of Guelma in Algeria, no matter how many names there are, but they all pour in one place, it is one of the most famous mineral baths in Algeria, its water originates from the underground with a temperature It reaches 100 degrees Celsius, which is the second in the world after the volcanoes of Iceland.
And many patients find traditional natural treatment in these mineral baths spread in Algeria, and this bath is characterized by calmness, beauty and a picturesque landscape.
Hammam Al-Maskhoutin … hot springs reaching 100 ° C, the second in the world after the volcanoes of Iceland
Dr. Muhammad Sharqi talked about the region whose geological formation dates back about 150 million years, and it was linked to the movement that led to the formation of the surrounding mountains, including Jabal Dabbagh, which the municipality bears its name today, Al-Qarar, Taya.
According to geological studies, the history of the region has undergone the same changes that occurred to the planet from the transformations that formed highlands and lows, mountains, volcanoes and seismic movements, as the doctor will later reveal the great impact of these cosmic movements and the disturbances they caused in the region, not only in terms of geographical topography.
But the most important – according to him – is the shift in values and beliefs and the connection of natural features with the legend, which formed one of the most important tourist attractions in the Hammam Dabbagh area, according to its modern name, and the “mythical geography” turned into a “pilgrimage” for thousands of visitors annually to the area.
According to Dr. Sharqi, these natural movements and changes caused the emergence of a group of hot springs that have become a unique “phenomenon” in the region, indicating that the depth of the springs extends over a distance of about ten kilometers into the ground, and according to this depth, the water temperature increases by a certain amount.
10 degrees Celsius with every kilometer, reaching 100 degrees, which makes the water of these springs the warmest in the world after the volcanoes of Iceland, and also the most abundant, according to estimates made by the French, during the colonial era, according to the flow capacity of up to 3 thousand liters per second, as well as in terms of its richness in salts and mineral elements, as it has more than twenty elements, including iron and sulfur, and this enhances its therapeutic value that it is famous for, in the treatment of blood pressure, skin diseases, bones, etc., in addition to the aesthetic of the places that flow Among them is water.
Etymology:
The origin of the word “Hammam Almskhoutin” dates back to an old legend that generations narrate from each other, that the rocks found in the bathing area rising along the waterfalls are people who were mutilated because of their disbelief and their transgression on the borders of God, when the prince in that area wanted to marry his sister, which led to anger God be upon him and he turned the newlyweds and the guests into stones from which mineral water flows.
Archaeologists trace the name of the bath back to the Ottoman era, when the water of this bath was used to treat illnesses and aches.
There is a third opinion that says that the reason for the designation “disgusted” is due to the ancient inhabitants of it, where they were medicating with musk and clay “musk and mud” and they turned the name into “disgusted”.
As for relaxation, calmness and contemplation in the creation of the Creator and the beauty of the scene, the limestone rock under which lies the dormant volcano is capable of forgetting you the troubles of the week and the worries of the days, the fact that it is an expressive image alone, represented by a waterfall with hot flowing water, the tongue cannot express due to the picturesque The view, when you go into the streams of this waterfall, you are attracted by the eggs that are lying inside the pits and the small holes that are prepared to boil them at a high temperature. The process of boiling eggs is a habit acquired by the residents of the region.