It might well excite one’s curiosity to speak of
a soap museum without mentioning the history of
“sapo” and it might not seem entirely appropriate
to use the noble word “museum” in a context which
is not satisfactory. At present one finds a Museum
of Mankind, of Motor Cars, or Aeronautics, of Wine,
of Traditions and Customs, of Soap and of Waxworks,
in fact the list is endless.
This
sublime word “museum” means a collection, an exposition,
a fair, or anything similar.
To
begin with, it was the holy Eden of the masterpieces
of creative minds, of artists and of geniuses.
The
story of soap goes back several thousands of years,
before 4500 B.C. to be more exact. In Sumer it was
a soapy paste with a basis of clay, ashes and fat,
and the same in Egypt and Phoenicia. It was in the
4th century A.D. that the Gallic Romans gave the
name “sapo” to a more complex paste that was used
for treating the skin and certain disorders. Baths
as we know them were taken not at all or once or
twice a year. It was only in 1371 at Marseille that
soap began its evolution to reach its present form
of an indispensable product for general use. Then
it was at Saïda, or Sidon, ancient Phoenician
city that has seen a whole succession of civilizations
and conquerors and which was the capital of Emir
Fakhreddine the Great, with many temples and citadels,
a palace, a port, and squares, that a distinguished
family decided to transform its fine residence into
the museum Khan es-Saboon”, for soaps of every shape
and color and manufactured with the olive oil so
plentiful in the region according to the ancient
traditional methods; what is more, a museum still
in use, for a soap museum supposes a craft workshop
alongside.
At
Sidon, which with the Arabs was also known under
the name of Irbel, the Audi family, composed of
distinguished and courageous Lebanese from the South
of the country, possessed this castle and “Hamam”.
There were many Hamams in Sidon, such as Khan al-Franj,
Khan al-Arz, and so on, where the foreign consuls
resided. This museum we speak of was also an old
soap factory belonging to the Audis. One may also
see various techniques of production widespread
from Aleppo to Nablus. There is a great variety
of form, perfume and color for the visitor. One
may also visit the old Hamam, a cafeteria, and a
sales booth offering a variety of local produce,
glycerin scented with honey, lavender or rose, oils
for the skin, lotions, hair tonics, eau de Cologne,
perfume, jasmine, serviettes and tunics.
The
museum, being not far from the port and the citadel,
gives a clear idea of our customs and of our identity.
The architecture is marked by vaults, some of which
go back to the 17th century, very old, while others
are of more recent build. The East façade,
which gives onto a wide boulevard, was restored
by its owners the Audis, who are considering the
enlargement of the complex by adding other ancient
adjoining houses.
