Why is it important for the grandmother to pass on the tradition of going to the bathhouse to her granddaughter? Use evidence from both the article and the story to support your response.
The following in an excerpt from the article “The Baths the Soul of Syria” written by Nora Boustany and published in The Washington Post.
In the steamy chambers of glistening marble and alabaster, Arab conquerors came to bathe after battle, spies spread rumors, plotters hatched coups and mothers checked out the legs of their future daughters-in-law.
One thousand and one tales of intrigue, baby snatching, matchmaking, leisurely encounters, celebrations and violence are told of the hammams, or Turkish baths of the souks, or marketplaces, of Damascus and Aleppo.
A meeting place for relaxation and ablution -- the latter a must for Moslems before prayer -- the hammam, in addition to the bazaar and the mosque, had become a distinctive trait of city life and a mirror of Damascene society until it started going out of style in the 1940s and '50s.
Old Syrian homes were not designed to include bathrooms. So men and women, on separate days, would troop to the baths in their neighborhoods.
At the baths, attendants scrub clients down with a rough glove of camel or goat hair after they have sweltered in vaporous, foggy alcoves. Hammered and engraved brass bowls are used to pour water out of sculpted stone basins to make more steam.
The lengthy ritual is concluded with the cooling-down period: a mellow seance of tea-sipping and chatter, sometimes singing, and drawn-out socializing -- a cherished Arab pastime helped by a disregard for time. Wrapped in towels striped with red, orange and gold, customers lounge on benches decked with Persian carpets in a well-lit foyer around a big fountain, inlaid with pink stone and basalt.
The ornate, spacious settings and elaborate procedures of thorough and relaxed bathing are slowly becoming no more than soapy Syrian folklore.
Syria's most beautiful baths are in the northern city of Aleppo. Large domes and cupolas studded with hand-blown turquoise and honey-glass globes allow sunlight to bathe the steam rooms and lounges.
"After preparing for the bath you step into a room filled with steam, covered with a rounded dome and egg-shaped glass bulbs. Light streams in from the outside through the stained glass, and it is very, very lovely," said Marjorie Ransom, the press officer at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus. On Saturdays, she and other women from the diplomatic corps would rent Aleppo's Noureddine bath for a private morning.
"It is an outlet for physical strain. After a hammam you lie down with ease. The bed pulls you to sleep instead of you pulling at the bed," Hammami said.
"Every Thursday, my mother, sisters and I would take our towels, home-cooked soap and lunch to spend the day at the hammam. It was nicer than going for a picnic along the riverside," she said recently, leafing through her book, which describes the old soul of Damascus, with scenes of laughter, prenuptial ceremonies for brides-to-be and shrill quarrels in the hammam.
Passing on the tradition of going to the bathhouse to her granddaughter is important for the grandmother as it is a cultural practice deeply rooted in Syrian society. The tradition of going to the bathhouse is not just about physical cleanliness, but also serves as a social gathering place for the community, where stories are shared, relationships are built, and traditions are passed down through generations.
In the article, it is mentioned that the hammam was a meeting place for relaxation and ablution, as well as a mirror of Damascene society. It was a place where people from all walks of life would come together to socialize and unwind. By taking her granddaughter to the bathhouse, the grandmother is passing on the importance of community and connection, as well as the traditions and values that have been upheld for centuries.
Additionally, the grandmother's memories of going to the bathhouse with her own mother and sisters highlight the sentimental value of this tradition. It is a way for her to reminisce about the good times spent with loved ones and to keep those memories alive by sharing them with her granddaughter.
Furthermore, in the story itself, we see how the bathhouse holds a special place in the hearts of the characters. It is a place where important life events, such as prenuptial ceremonies, take place, and where relationships are strengthened. By passing on this tradition, the grandmother is ensuring that her granddaughter understands and appreciates the cultural significance of the bathhouse, and the importance of preserving such traditions for future generations.