Every year, many people from different parts of the country and abroad visit
Kashan, the hub of Mohammadi Rose in
Iran. The season for picking rose and preparing rosewater is from early May to mid-June.
In May, the scent of rose spreads over different areas of
Kashan, such as Qamsar, Joushqan Kamou, Barzak and Niasar, IranReview reported. The ceremony for making rosewater in
Kashan attracts many tourists.
Every day, about 80,000 people tour various cities of
Kashan to watch this traditional ceremony. Rosewater is made from a very sweet-smelling rose and is used in various traditional dishes and sweets.
It is also used as a perfume among Muslims. Although some modern mechanized factories have been constructed, a large part of this homemade industry is done traditionally.
And this traditional rosewater production is established in homes or gardens. Historical monuments and architecture of
Kashan also attract tourists and add to the popularity of this festival, too.
The
...see more people of Qamsar collect roses, boil them in special pots and collect their vapors in beautiful containers. It is a matter of pride for the city that each year, the most sacred place on earth, Ka’ba in Makkah, is washed with rosewater from Qamsar.
Qamsar City The ancient, garden city of Qamsar is like a shining star in the central Iranian desert.
The surrounding mountains encircle it like a ring and protect its rose gardens against the heat of the desert. The garden city is a patch of paradise that blooms with color as the spring begins.
Its beauty is doubled when rosewater ceremony commences and its hospitable people play host to millions of people who love the nature and rosewater of Qamsar.
Antiquity Mohammadi Rose (Rosa damascene or Damask rose) is among the most important roses in the world. Production of rosewater in Iran dates back to over 2,500 years and grows in Fars, Kerman, Isfahan as well as East and West Azarbaijan provinces.
Equipment used for extraction of rose water in Ghamsar is nearly traditional and has hardly changed over the years.
They include:
1. A copper pot with a capacity of 120-150 liters;
2. A big clay pot, which has not been replaced by the copper pot and is used to cover the pot.
A major advantage of clay pot was that it did not burn the fragrance of the flower;
3. A copper pitcher with handle and a capacity of about 30-40 liters which is put in cold water, so that flower streams are turned into liquid;
4.
Four wooden canes which are attached to each other to connect the pot to the pitcher; today, they use aluminum pipes instead of those canes;
5. A water pool where liquefaction is done; and
6.
Heating equipment under the copper pot which is usually fed by oil or diesel fuel. In the past they used wood and bushes to warm it up.
During the whole process, the flame should be steady and mild.
In better words, the longer the distillation period and the steadier the flame, the higher would be quality of the end product. The water poured into the pot should be measured accurately to be proportionate to the weight of flower petals.
The roses are usually harvested by children.
Three different qualities of rose water are produced depending on the freshness of the flowers. The first extraction is of high quality and is much in demand by international and national cosmetic firms.
The other two are used for culinary and mourning purposes.
Qamsar's rose water is globally renowned especially among Muslims because the holy Ka'ba in Mecca is washed with this water during the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The part of the flower, which is used to produce rose water and essence, is petals.
Boiled petals of Mohammadi flower are alkaline and constitute a good remedy for stress, flatulence, and abdominal colic. The boiled petals are also used to fight depression and to treat palpitation, insomnia, ordinary and bloody diarrhea, sickness, and inflammation.
In the past, rose water was used in traditional Iranian medicine to treat rheumatic heart disease, to strengthen gastric nerves, and to treat some forms of headache and sickness.
References:
http://www.welcometoiran.com
http://edition.presstv.ir
http://www.iranreview.org/content/Documents/Festival_of_Rose_and_Rose_Water.htm
