03:48Simply iris-istible! - Damascene rose harvest festival kicks off in Syrian countryside
The rose harvesting season of the 'Damascene Rose', a Syrian tradition which dates back thousands of years, began in the town of Marah in the countryside of Damascus on Thursday.
For Syrians, this folkloric ceremonial event, which is passed down from generation to generation, involves hand-picking roses with family members, harvesting the young roses to make a drink, and having women make rose syrup, jam, and sweets.
"The Damascene Rose is known to have many benefits such as rose syrup, rose water, and beauty creams, we inherited this profession from our grandparents a long time ago and the Europeans used to buy the Damascene Rose from here," a local said.
According to historians, the Greeks, Romans, and ancient Egyptians introduced the cultivation of the Damascene rose to the ancient world. Later, during the Middle Ages, it reached Europe. From there, it gained fame and importance throughout the world due to its extensive aromatic, medical, cosmetic, and dietary benefits.
According to a local farmer, "In the past, they used to infuse dried roses into hot water to make a special tea and today, thanks to the attention paid by the authorities, this profession has developed into distilling rose water, rose syrup, and making ointments, and recently, we began making essential oils, which are as expensive as gold.”
In 2019, the Damascus Rose was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
During the festival, visitors can sample dishes infused with rose as well as listen to folk songs celebrating the rose and its beauty.
Experts say every four kilogrammes of green roses yields one kilogramme of dried roses and one kilogramme of roses yields one litre of rose syrup. It takes about 12 kilograms of rose buds to produce one gram of essential oil, hence its incredibly steep price, which can be as high as $70 per gram.
03:48The rose harvesting season of the 'Damascene Rose', a Syrian tradition which dates back thousands of years, began in the town of Marah in the countryside of Damascus on Thursday.
For Syrians, this folkloric ceremonial event, which is passed down from generation to generation, involves hand-picking roses with family members, harvesting the young roses to make a drink, and having women make rose syrup, jam, and sweets.
"The Damascene Rose is known to have many benefits such as rose syrup, rose water, and beauty creams, we inherited this profession from our grandparents a long time ago and the Europeans used to buy the Damascene Rose from here," a local said.
According to historians, the Greeks, Romans, and ancient Egyptians introduced the cultivation of the Damascene rose to the ancient world. Later, during the Middle Ages, it reached Europe. From there, it gained fame and importance throughout the world due to its extensive aromatic, medical, cosmetic, and dietary benefits.
According to a local farmer, "In the past, they used to infuse dried roses into hot water to make a special tea and today, thanks to the attention paid by the authorities, this profession has developed into distilling rose water, rose syrup, and making ointments, and recently, we began making essential oils, which are as expensive as gold.”
In 2019, the Damascus Rose was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
During the festival, visitors can sample dishes infused with rose as well as listen to folk songs celebrating the rose and its beauty.
Experts say every four kilogrammes of green roses yields one kilogramme of dried roses and one kilogramme of roses yields one litre of rose syrup. It takes about 12 kilograms of rose buds to produce one gram of essential oil, hence its incredibly steep price, which can be as high as $70 per gram.