Arabian Oud

Perfumes and incense are an enduring and essential part of Arabic lifestyle. The inhabitants of the Arabian Gulf have enjoyed the use of perfumes for several centuries.

Arabian perfumes date back to before the era of Islam and their use is encouraged in Islam. The Prophet Mohammad Sallallahu 'Alaihe wa Sallam encouraged believers to wear perfume, especially on Fridays for the "Jumah prayer".

In the gulf region a woman's beauty has always been associated with perfume and Emirate and Saudi men and women both use perfumes on a frequent basis. Perfumes from the Gulf region are unique in their appeal and originality, enjoying a certain "essence" which is unique to the region. Perfume is derived from a number of extracts including musk, amber, flowers such as iris, jasmine and lily, the leaves of fruit and the bark of trees. The most common components are roses, oud, saffron, sandalwood, musk, amber and jasmine.

Most perfume elements originate from India and the subcontinent. Gulf perfumes are weighed by the "tola" and the prices vary according to the ingredients used in the fragrance mix. Oud and rose are believed to be the most expensive ingredients.

Options: Uses for fragrances
- Welcoming guests to the house as a sign of hospitality. Incense was traditionally placed on burning charcoal at the entrance of the house. Today, people still welcome guests with incense. It is burnt and used before guests enter, to give the house a fresh and beautiful fragrance.

- At wedding celebrations, where the bride dabs a mixture of different kinds of perfumes, on her ears and hands.

- As a treatment for pain and disease and to treat infections and wounds. n As an ingredient in incense. This is still commonly used today as an air freshener or burnt on special occasions. Incense was created by grinding oud into a fine powder and mixing it with fragrant essential oils and floras. Traditionally incense was also burnt if there was an illness in the house in the belief that the scent would expel evil. Today, herbs and some kinds special incense are still burnt when people suffer from certain respiratory illnesses to make breathing easier.

- To give a scent to clothing. Traditionally women would use a certain type of incense called "Dokhoun" which was comprised of a paste made of musk and amber formed into a small round shape, to scent their clothing. They would place them on bamboo hangers to keep their clothes smelling fresh after washing. Today, although a variety of perfumes can be purchased from any beauty shop, people in the gulf still use Dokhoun as it considered as an integral part of their identity.

Homemade vs bought:
In the past, Emirate women created their own perfumes. Today, traditional incense can be purchased from Arabic perfume shops. However, some women still prefer to create their own perfumes at home, which have a high quality.

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