NIZWA: The cultivation of roses is one of the treasures of Al Jabal Al Akhdhar and one of the most important sources of livelihood for its residents, who practice flower filtration and extraction of their pure and fresh water, which is found in almost every home in the Sultanate of Oman.
The rose season begins in March and peaks in April and ends in early May of each year. The green terraces, which rise more than 3,000 metres above the ground, are covered with roses. This cultivation is spread in large mountain areas and concentrated in the villages of Al Ain, Al Shuraijah , Saiq and Al Qashaa.
Salim bin Rashid al Toobi, Director of Agriculture Department in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar, recently said: “The number of rose plants from which mountain rose water is extracted is estimated at about five thousand trees distributed over a total area of 7 acres. The amount of production is about 4,000 litres per acre or about 28,000 litres for the total area planted with rose trees.”
Al Toobi added that the ministry had distributed rose water distillation machines that are alternative to the traditional ones that depend on wood as fuel. It also provided guidance programmes concerned with the process of pruning, fertilising and caring for the Omani rose trees.
Despite the distribution of distillation machines that may speed up the process of making rose water, following the traditional method is the secret behind the quality and accuracy of making green mountain rose water special. The rose water industry is a traditional craft that has been attached to the people of Jabal Al Akhdhar for hundreds of years.
Since the beginning of the emergence of rose flowers, people tend to pick roses in the early morning and sometimes in the evening. All family members cooperate in picking roses from the orchard in a beautiful cooperative process throughout the rose season.
After the rose is harvested, the process of distilling it in unique factories is designed by farmers. It is a building made of mud, stones and pottery utensils placed on it. The area of this factory varies according to the area of the rose trees for the farmer. The distilled rose water collected through the evaporation process. This process lasts about four hours. For some, the work continues throughout the rose season, according to the quantities of roses available. The resulting rose water is collected and left for a period ranging from one month to forty days until the impurities are deposited. After that, it is stored in a pottery pot and remains in it for three months. Then the product is packed in glass bottles with a capacity of 750 millilitres and then marketed in the local markets, where its value ranges between RO 8 to RO 10. Some bottles of (500 millilitres) are valued at RO 5.
This season has become one of the tourist components that visitors to Jabal Al Akhdhar are keen to see and learn closely about the traditional and modern rose water manufacturing mechanism. According to the annual statistics, the number of visitors is constantly increasing, and this is due to the unique and distinctive features of Jabal Al Akhdhar and its cool and refreshing weather.
During the rose season, tourists can tour some of the agricultural paths through the villages of Jabal Al Akhdhar. Thus, they have the opportunity to see the rose trees and watch the people picking roses early in the morning.
There are also some traditional factories that tourists can view and see the old method used in the distillation of rose water.
