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The perfumes of Arabia are a reminder of a glorious past. During the great empire of the Caliphs of Baghdad, when science and scholarship flourished, the control and development of the perfume trade was one of many mathematical and technical breakthroughs. The Caliphs enjoyed beautiful scents and encouraged their manufacture, creating ‘sweet smells’ for mosques and public buildings.
Books on perfumery and distillation by the great Arab and Persian philosophers and scientists – Al Kindi around 800 AD, Rhazes around 865 AD, and Avicenna around 980 AD – reveal that for the first time in history, Arabs made the mass production of perfume possible. The rose was the first flower to be distilled into perfume, and remains unique in that it is able to withstand the high temperature of distillation.
In the 13th century, when the 21st century’s ‘capital of perfume’ – Grasse in southern France – was unheard of, the perfumer’s art was already being explored and developed in the Syrian town of Al Munazzah.
An Islamic courtesy decrees the sprinkling of a guest with rose water from a long flask known as Gulaban. It was also used in the scenting of gloves, an oriental luxury the Crusaders made popular among Europeans.
If rose has always been the queen of flowers, jasmine is often referred to as king. Jasmine is a climbing shrub which grows up to three meters high. Since early Islamic times, it has radiated throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa, to be used in cosmetics, hair dressings, religious garlands, and as a perfume for tea. Jasmine was introduced into southern Europe by the extensive Arab trading network in the 16th century.
Over the centuries, legendary frankincense contributed vast amounts to the wealth of the ancient Arab world, where it was traded for other luxuries such as silver, gold, ivory, fabrics, tortoise shells, wine and foodstuffs.
The most prized aromatics – frankincense and myrrh – were carried along well-traveled trade paths that would become known as the Incense Route. Frankincense achieved the status of incense par excellence, sometimes mixed with other fragrant ingredients, or used in its purest state and by the Ancient Romans in enormous quantities.
It burns with a pure white smoke, ideal for sending messages to the Gods, according to the Romans and ancient Egyptians. “The smoke of incense reaches heaven as does no other smoke,” wrote historian Al Tabari. The Temple of Baal in Babylon, for example, burned two and a half tons of frankincense a year, according to ancient records.
Oud conjures up mystical images as its history is long and convoluted. Grown in Asia, it was transported to the Middle East via the early trade routes of frankincense. Few Westerners are familiar with oud, meaning ‘wood’ in Arabic.
Agarwood or oud is the fragrant heartwood produced by a species of the Asian Aquilaria tree genus once it has been infected by a fungus. The fungus and decomposition process generate a rich, dark resin, which is formed within the heartwood. Thus oud develops very slowly, typically over several hundred years, making it is so precious and rare that it is described as the most sacred oil on the planet.
During Haj, for example, Muslim pilgrims from around the globe travel to Mecca and Medina, where many are introduced to the scent of oud, which is burnt in the Great Mosque and many others throughout Saudi Arabia. Oud produces a fragrance that is not easily forgotten, and for this reason small packets of oud chips are a popular souvenir to take home from Haj.
In other places in the Islamic world, oud is burned to help celebrate important events.
Perfume and incense continue to play a major part in everyday life across the Arab world. The techniques, traditions and perfumes first developed in the Middle East centuries ago form the cornerstones of the present-day international perfume industry, and have become among its greatest treasures.
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The perfumes of Arabia are a reminder of a glorious past. During the great empire of the Caliphs of Baghdad, when science and scholarship flourished, the control and development of the perfume trade was one of many mathematical and technical breakthroughs. The Caliphs enjoyed beautiful scents and encouraged their manufacture, creating ‘sweet smells’ for mosques and public buildings. Books on perfumery and distillation by the great Arab and Persian philosophers and scientists – Al Kindi around 800 AD, Rhazes around 865 AD, and Avicenna around 980 AD – reveal that for the first time in history, Arabs made the mass production of perfume possible. The rose was the first flower to be distilled into perfume, and remains unique in that it is able to withstand the high temperature of distillation.
An Islamic courtesy decrees the sprinkling of a guest with rose water from a long flask known as Gulaban. It was also used in the scenting of gloves, an oriental luxury the Crusaders made popular among Europeans.
If rose has always been the queen of flowers, jasmine is often referred to as king. Jasmine is a climbing shrub which grows up to three meters high. Since early Islamic times, it has radiated throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa, to be used in cosmetics, hair dressings, religious garlands, and as a perfume for tea. Jasmine was introduced into southern Europe by the extensive Arab trading network in the 16th century.
Over the centuries, legendary frankincense contributed vast amounts to the wealth of the ancient Arab world, where it was traded for other luxuries such as silver, gold, ivory, fabrics, tortoise shells, wine and foodstuffs.
The most prized aromatics – frankincense and myrrh – were carried along well-traveled trade paths that would become known as the Incense Route. Frankincense achieved the status of incense par excellence, sometimes mixed with other fragrant ingredients, or used in its purest state and by the Ancient Romans in enormous quantities.
It burns with a pure white smoke, ideal for sending messages to the Gods, according to the Romans and ancient Egyptians. “The smoke of incense reaches heaven as does no other smoke,” wrote historian Al Tabari. The Temple of Baal in Babylon, for example, burned two and a half tons of frankincense a year, according to ancient records.
Oud conjures up mystical images as its history is long and convoluted. Grown in Asia, it was transported to the Middle East via the early trade routes of frankincense. Few Westerners are familiar with oud, meaning ‘wood’ in Arabic.
Agarwood or oud is the fragrant heartwood produced by a species of the Asian Aquilaria tree genus once it has been infected by a fungus. The fungus and decomposition process generate a rich, dark resin, which is formed within the heartwood. Thus oud develops very slowly, typically over several hundred years, making it is so precious and rare that it is described as the most sacred oil on the planet.
During Haj, for example, Muslim pilgrims from around the globe travel to Mecca and Medina, where many are introduced to the scent of oud, which is burnt in the Great Mosque and many others throughout Saudi Arabia. Oud produces a fragrance that is not easily forgotten, and for this reason small packets of oud chips are a popular souvenir to take home from Haj.
In other places in the Islamic world, oud is burned to help celebrate important events.
Perfume and incense continue to play a major part in everyday life across the Arab world. The techniques, traditions and perfumes first developed in the Middle East centuries ago form the cornerstones of the present-day international perfume industry, and have become among its greatest treasures.
© SharqMagazine.com
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