Taif rose

More than 100 species of roses are known in the world. For example, Damask rose is so valued in perfumery and cosmetics that it seems unbeatable...

But beware!! There is another type of Damascus rose that is more rare, and that is the very mystical Taif rose.

The Taif rose is a strong part of the culture. Taif is a city in the mountainous region of Saudi Arabia at an altitude of around 2000 meters. It is located near the Mecca. This landscape is rich in figs, pomegranates and honey, as well as the beautiful, highly prized Taifa rose. Because of its resemblance to the famous Bulgarian kazanlik rose, some say it was brought to Saudi Arabia by the Ottoman Turks, who once ruled a vast empire stretching far across the Arabian Peninsula. Be that as it may, there are few fragrances in the Islamic world that receive as much respect as Taif rose.

Its precious essence is strongly linked to Islamic culture. The highest quality rose oil has its inherent place, for example, in ceremonies in Mecca.

The Taif Rose Festival is held in Taif every year during the flowering season. Visitors have the opportunity to stroll through the beautiful rose gardens, watch a traditional dance performance and purchase a bouquet of these unique roses.

Why is the Taif rose so rare? For the production of 10 ml. 40,000 flowers are needed for Taif Rose essential oil. The area around the city of Taif where the rose grows is not very large. Only a few local families take care of the whole area. The rather cooler climate creates ideal conditions for the rose, also thanks to its altitude of 2,000 meters. Still, it is necessary to hand-pluck the roses early in the morning so that the day's harsh sun does not destroy the precious oil in the petals.

It is very interesting information, almost unreal, that each rose has the same number of these petals - thirty. Every April, the terraced fields around Taifu are filled with pink fragrant flowers. However, the season is fleeting, lasting only a month. This fact, combined with a unique intoxicating aroma, makes the Taif rose a very rare commodity of world stature.

You will pay a very high price for pure essential oil.. Once the hand-picked flowers are ready in baskets, they are taken to local distilleries. There they are sorted, weighed and distilled in giant copper vats.

However, several centuries ago, rose petals were not distilled at all in Taifu. They were picked up and taken by camel caravan to the Muslim city of Mecca. There, Indian artisans pressed the flowers by hand and extracted precious oils from which exquisite aromatic blends were made. Today, a gentle process of steam distillation is used, where the essential oil is released into steam, which then condenses and separates the essential oil from the rose water. The resulting oil is then normally sold in a bottle with a volume of 11.7 grams. The price of taifa rose oil varies greatly according to the season, the quality of the oil and later its age.

In Dubai perfumeries, however, you can usually come across a bottle with a price of around AUD $993.00. The best quality oil from the last harvest, of which there are usually only a handful of bottles, naturally has the highest price and most often only the perfumer has it under the counter.

What does Taif Rose smell like? The scent of the Taif rose is more intense than that of the well-known Damascus rose. It has more depth, but still doesn't feel heavy. It is juicy and you can smell the soft tea and powder notes in it. In the Arab world, this fragrance is worn by both men and women. Pure pink Taif essential oil is basically unobtainable in our region. But you can enjoy its scent through carefully designed perfume compositions with the Taif rose in the lead role.