Egyptian Bookstore's 'Scream Room' Lets Customers Yell All They Want

Ever felt the impulse to run into the closet, shut the door, and scream? The owners of Bab Aldonia, a bookstore in Cairo, Egypt, know how you feel. In fact, Reuters UK reports, they empathize with stressed-out patrons so much that they created a designated “scream room.” Customers can enter the dark, soundproof room for free, and yell to their hearts' content for 10 minutes.

The room was originally used for music practice, but one of the store's customers suggested the creative alternate use to Heidi Radwan, the store’s co-owner. Initially, Radwan told CNN, she thought the idea “sounded crazy.” But she did a little research, and discovered that the urge to relieve tension by screaming is a universal one. For example, indigenous cultures in Canada use yelling as a method of traditional mood therapy, and in Japan, merchants sell scream pots, or “shouting vases,” that muffle yells of frustration. 

Bab Aldonia's quirky business gimmick ended up being a success. "It's good for everyday stress. People go there and scream to let go of their daily problems," Radwan told CNN. "When Cairo gets too much, and there are too many people around, you can go there and scream in the dark." The room even comes complete with a drum set, which customers bang on to relieve additional tension.

There are a few rules: Customers aren’t allowed to bring their phones into the room, and only one person is allowed in it at a time. However, co-owner Abdel Rahman Saad told HuffPost Arabi that the scream room is open to all individuals, regardless of background, “because everyone is suffering from pressures in life." 

Right now, people seem to be yelling about the scream room from the rooftops, as it's reportedly even more popular among visitors than Bab Aldonia’s vast book selection or café. People reportedly travel long distances to try it out for themselves, and Radwan believes the room's popularity will soon inspire other merchants to open similar attractions.

If there's nothing like Bab Aldonia’s scream room in your city, you can peek inside the store's stress-relief chamber by watching the video below.

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