It has been a long time since the scent of incense alone wafted through the streets of early Taif. Around 300 years ago, another beguiling scent was added, one that continues to characterise the city of Taif and its surroundings to this day: it is the bouquet emitted by a distinguished variety of rose, the Rosa damascena trigintipetala, which grows in the valley around Taif and is the pride of the region.
Entire fields in and around Taif bloom in spring with exquisite roses. Every spring from mid-March, or by April at the latest, the fields of the oil-rich Wardh Taifi – the Rose of Taif – appear as a single sea of blossoms. Taif offers a veritable paradise for roses, with cool breezes, sunshine and just the right amount of rain, far removed from desert sand and scorching heat. To the west of the city, the land rises to over 2,000 metres (6,400 ft), and here, alongside the favourable temperatures, the abundant groundwater, the well-developed irrigation systems and the fine topsoil create ideal conditions for vigorously growing roses. They shine out above all in a distinctive rosé hue.
The rose blossoms are used to produce the sought-after pure rose water (which is diluted for use in cooking, baking, and for tea and coffee) and, above all, the precious rose oil, which is used in “attar” (Arabic for perfume).
