Oud, rose and the rituals of a royal majlis
RIYADH — A leather box filled with bottles of perfume was brought into the majlis.Among the fragrances was pure rose oil, rich enough that its scent could fill a room. The guest was not simply offered the perfume. King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud made sure he was perfumed with it.The scene was remembered by Lebanese writer and traveler Amin Rihani, who stayed as a guest of King Abdulaziz and later described the ritual.Rihani recalled perfume being applied from different bottles to his beard, headwear and chest until the room was filled with fragrance.The account, preserved in the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives' historical guide, offers an unusually intimate glimpse into the personal habits of the founder of Saudi Arabia.King Abdulaziz was particularly fond of fragrance.Darah records that he used perfumes and heavy aromatic oils, including pure rose oil, which he kept in a special leather perfume box. He favored incense, oud oil and rose oil and was attentive to cleanliness and personal appearance.But fragrance in his majlis was not solely personal.He was careful to perfume his guests as well, making scent part of the hospitality extended to those he received.That attention to presentation was also reflected in his clothing.King Abdulaziz's dress remained rooted in traditional Saudi attire and was characterized, according to Darah, by an avoidance of unnecessary extravagance. What he wore varied according to the occasion and season.Among the garments associated with him was the thawb murawdan, an ornamental garment he wore in his youth on occasions and during Eid celebrations.Its distinctive feature was its unusually broad triangular sleeves, whose ends extended downward. The hanging portion of the sleeve was known as the radan.There was also the muqatta, or mudara'a, a basic garment resembling the modern men's thobe but cut more broadly.For colder weather, King Abdulaziz wore the zabun, a woolen outer garment open at the front and along parts of the sides and sleeves, traditionally worn over the muqatta.His preferences could also reflect the day.Darah notes his fondness for white clothing and says he commonly chose white garments on Fridays, including a white bisht and ghutra.Taken individually, these may appear to be small details beside the political events that defined King Abdulaziz's life.Together, however, they offer something historical records of treaties, journeys and government institutions cannot: texture.The leather perfume box.The scent of rose and oud.The white clothes chosen for Friday.The wide sleeves of the murawdan.The winter zabun.And the practice of sharing fragrance with a guest.They bring the reader from the public history of a king into the atmosphere of his majlis — and into traditions of dress, fragrance and hospitality that remain recognizable in Saudi culture generations later.