 Rose Damascena Attar
Rosa Damascena is a cultivated flower,
no longer found growing wild, and the history of just where it came from is
varied, but generally understood as coming from the
Middle East.
The Crusader
Robert de Brie is sometimes given credit for bringing the Damask rose from Syria to Europe
sometime between
1254 and 1276.
The name refers to Damascus, Syria a major
city in the Middle Eastern region. Other stories say the
Romans brought the rose to England, and a third account says that the
physician of Henry VIII gave him a Damask rose, as a present, around 1540.
There is a history of fragrance production
in
Afghanistan (Kabul
Province) from the Damask rose.
An attempt has been made to restore this industry as an alternative for
farmers who currently produce opium.
Cultivation
Rosa Damascena is best cultivated in hedge
rows to help protect the blooms from wind and to facilitate ease of picking.
Gathering the flowers is quite labor intensive as it must be done by hand.
There are about twenty to forty days per year when harvesting occurs,
depending on the type of Rosa Damascena cultivated in the region. The roses
are gathered by hand and brought to a central location for steam
distillation.
The largest producers of rose oil from the
different names all falling under the name Rosa Damascena are India, Bulgaria and
Turkey. France also contributes significantly to the world market.
Morocco, Tunisia and some other Persian and Middle Eastern countries have
historically produced rose oil, but their modern contribution is minimal.
The town of Kazanlak Bulgaria was founded
by Turkish immigrants to the region in 1420. It is assumed by most
historians that the cultivation of the Kazanlak Rose began around that
period. Rosa Damascena, known in this region as the Kazanlak Rose, were
reportedly brought to the area by a Turkish judge who brought them from
Tunisia and cultivated them in his own fragrant garden, and is now
cultivated for commercial use in an area surrounding Kazanluk called the
“Valley of Roses.” The distillate from these roses is sold as ‘Bulgarian
Rose Oil”, and “Bulgarian Rose Otto”. Follow this link to read more about
the yearly Rose Festival in Bulgaria in honor of the rose.
Rose Festival
Turkish rose oil is sold as “Rose Oil”,
“Turkish Rose Otto” and "Rosa Damascena Attar”, or “Ittar’ in similar
languages. While there are still families who run their own small
distilleries and produce what is known as “village oil”, the
commercialization of Rose Oil as a high quality product is carefully
regulated through a state-run cooperative in the Isparta region of Turkey.
The Roses are still grown by the small family farms but the flowers are
brought to one of many stills set up and regulated by the cooperative for
distillation and quality control.
India has also developed an industry
producing Rose Oil (both Rose Attar and Rose Absolutes) as well as Rose
Concrete. Perhaps due to the low labor cost and the commitment of the Indian
Government to international trade and high quality standards, these products
from India today are cheaper than those from Bulgaria and Turkey.
The city of
Taif in Saudi Arabia is famous for the cultivation of this flower, which
is called "Ward Taifi".
I would
tentatively argue that adab (in the sense of being appropriate behavior)
is moral and behavioral perfume. To perfume our
behavior is to think about how the other might regard us, before we
proceed. It is to understand the rights of others, as we consider our own
course of action. On a deeper level, it is to help make the world created
by our interactions as ’sweet-smelling’ and as gentle as possible; it is
to make the world more beautiful.
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Rose Damascena Attar |
A classic perfume with a
delightfully rich and pleasantly strong aroma. One bottle of pure Rose attar
can produce ten or more aromatic blends in a carrier oil of choice. Helps
promote physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. A romantic fragrance
which has long been understood as a symbol of Love. This fragrance is
suitable for both men and women.
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