Salt spa seeks to soothe cradle of Libya鈥檚 revolution
Print Edition
Libya鈥檚 principal eastern city may be best known as the cradle of a revolution, but it has lately scored an improbable first for the conflict-riven country 鈥 a salt spa.
The Opal center in Benghazi, where citizens rose up against dictator Moamer Kadhafi鈥檚 rule a decade ago, opened Libya鈥檚 first-ever artificial salt caves to clients last October.
Established by two women entrepreneurs, the center offers soothing treatments in a Zen-like atmosphere accompanied by soft music and subdued lighting.
鈥淭he inhalation of salt particles purifies the respiratory tract and brings benefits for the skin,鈥 said joint founder Iman Bugaighis, sporting a white blouse and a pink veil around her head.
Armed with a shovel, the specialist in alternative medicine covers the body of a client in his 30s with salt, from his legs to his neck.
Eyes closed and hands clasped around a ball of salt, the man relaxes, breathing slowly in a windowless but uncramped room.
In another room, with crystal-covered walls and resembling a cave, a machine propels iodine-laden salt particles through the air.
An immersive session inhaling the concoction lasts 45 minutes and costs between 80 and 120 dinars (US$18-27). Several sessions are required to yield results, says Bugaighis.
鈥楽oothes my pain鈥
The Opal center, slap-bang in the chic district of Dagadosta in downtown Benghazi, promises treatment of respiratory issues like asthma and skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis.
Pockmarked walls and disfigured buildings are reminders of past conflict in the city, which in recent years has been the bastion of eastern Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar.
Mustafa Ahmed Akhlif, a banker in his 50s, has suffered from acute sinusitis for a decade.
鈥淚鈥檝e taken lots of painkillers and tried traditional medicine without it dulling my pain,鈥 he said.
But in just four sessions of inhaling the salty substances he says he feels 鈥80 percent鈥 better.
Bugaighis herself discovered the therapy when traveling in Arab countries that offer the same treatments.
She then studied alternative medicine in neighboring Tunisia.
Convinced of the treatments鈥 efficacy in tackling chronic illnesses, she returned to her home city and launched her business, alongside her friend Zainab al-Werfalli.
The Opal 鈥渃enter has met its public,鈥 enthused Werfalli, even if the years of instability makes business success difficult to predict.
The center鈥檚 opening coincided with a ceasefire agreed in October by the main players in Libya鈥檚 conflict 鈥 Haftar鈥檚 eastern-based forces and rival authorities in the capital Tripoli.
And a precarious new interim executive authority, approved by both parties to the conflict, tentatively got off the ground recently with a mandate to lead the nation to elections set for December.
Werfalli is determined to 鈥渕ake this complementary therapy known to the medical profession鈥 in her home city, starting with the doctors and medical staff.
The two women are ready to treat patients of all ages and Bugaighis said one little girl with respiratory problems had improved considerably following sessions.
Buffeted by repeated rounds of fighting and interruptions to oil output in the decade since Kadhafi鈥檚 ouster and killing, Libyans are trying to rediscover a semblance of normality.
Tucked away from the nearby urban commotion, Libya鈥檚 first artificial salt caves invite clients to relax and forget, amid lungfuls of salty air, a chaos that otherwise all too often overshadows everyday life.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
