In Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab world scents hold a very dear place in the hearts of people. Whether its male, female or homely scents they have perfected the art of perfume making to such detail that everybody flocks to the middle east to be a part of this art form. Instead of diluted alocohol perfumes, they use natural, pure perfume oils from a variety of sources. these are also known as Attars. That the most common attars are oud, musk, Hajr-e-Aswad, Kiswat Al Ka'bah , Jannatul Firdaus, mukhallat, rose, salma, Rawdha, bedun essm.
As we said perfume oils are natural and come from a variety of natural sources. Such as oudh which comes from the Agarwood Tree interestingly when infected by a certain type of mold, or musk that comes from the Abdominal glands of a male musk deer. Others are extracted oils from Rose, Sandalwood, Amber and a variety of spices, herbs, fruit and natural flower extracts from various regions around the world. All these are compressed with oils extracted and mukhallats(mixtures) are created giving off a range of scents that are long lasting and absolutely memorable.
Some of these are synonymous with the holy sites of Islam such as :
Kiswat Al Ka'bah - The fragrance of the Kiswa(Cover) of the Ka’bah, the holiest site in Mecca.
Hajr-e-Aswad - The fragrance of the blacks stone which is a revered relic in Islam located in the eastern corner of the Ka’bah in Mecca.
Rawdha - The fragrance of the Rawdha - is a sacred and highly revered area within Al-Masjid An-Nabawi (the Prophet's Mosque) in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
These have a special place in the hearts of millions and are easily recognizable and quite nostalgic for their fragrant, sweet, fresh and long lasting notes.