
The Taif rose, also known as “wardh Taifi”, is a flower with 30 pink petals of uneven size.
It is related to the Damask rose, a species of open shrubs that bear loose clusters of fragrant flowers primarily in the summer.
- pThis rose thrives in the mountainous city of Taif in western Saudi Arabia.
The cool temperatures in Taif contribute to the successful growth of these roses, which are typically harvested in the early morning hours to preserve their essential oils from the day’s heat.
Symbolism
The Taif rose is a symbol of nobility and status, highly sought after in Middle Eastern countries. Its popularity is further enhanced by its association with roses, which symbolize romance, love, and beauty, reigning as the queen of flowers for 40 million years.
Historical Background
The Taif rose has a rich history intertwined with culture, war, and invasion. Researchers found that the Ottoman Turks, who conquered the area in the early 16th century CE, transplanted and cultivated the rose. The Taif rose is also linked to the Bulgarian ‘kazanlik’ rose and has roots in Persian rose plantations in Shiraz and Kashan. Some even believe the flower originally came from India.
Extraction and Cultivation
The cultivation of Taif roses involves a meticulous process. After careful gathering and sorting, these delicate blooms undergo steam distillation. The rose oil transforms into vapor, which then condenses into precious rose oil through a careful cooling process. This prized essential oil, separated from rose water, holds great value, often fetching prices upwards of $400 USD per tola (approximately 12ml).
Historical and Cultural Uses
During the Hajj (Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca), the Kiswah is sprinkled with rose water. Historically, upon conquering Istanbul in 1453, Sultan Mehmet II had the Aya Sophia washed with rose water before converting it into a mosque. In Islam, the rose is known as the flower of Heaven. Some perceive roses as symbols of the human soul, associating the beautiful scent of the rose with spirituality.
Global Cultivation
Countries such as Morocco, Syria, India and France grow and harvest Damascus, with thousands of farms dedicated to these roses. Although Taif has a smaller production, it produces high-value rose water (used in cooking, tea and coffee) and rose oil for perfumes.
Perfumery Value
The Taif rose is especially prized in perfumery for its deep fragrance, which is even more intense than the better-known Damask rose. It also offers hints of tea alongside its soft powderiness. The attar of roses produced is powerful and expensive, with around 40,000 rose flowers needed to produce a single 10-gram bottle of rose attar.
These roses are harvested for their essential oil, used to cleanse the walls of the sacred Kaaba in Makkah.
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