Golabgiri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Golabgiri (Persian, "making rosewater") is a festival taking place annually from mid-May to mid-June in Kashan, Isfahan Province, Iran. The ceremony takes place throughout Kashan county, majorly in Ghamsar, Niasar; and in surrounding regions. This period marks the full bloom of the rose, transforming the hot desert region into a magnificent space of flowers. During this event that annually attracts tens of thousands to two million tourists, the essence of the national flower, Rosa damascena, 'Damask Rose'—locally called Mohammadi Rose—planted in many flower gardens in these areas, is prepared by the traditional method of an evaporation system.[1][2]
Roses have been grown in Iran since at least the 10th century. Today, the country is the world's first producer of rose water (golab), with 22,000 tonnes produced mainly in the central and southern regions. The Damask Rose produces the highest quality golab, and therefore 15,000 hectares are solely devoted to growing it. Due to its wide range of uses in essential oils, body products, various foods and desserts, and for religious purposes, it is a profitable crop and nearly 80% of the farmers in the region are dependent on golab-related sales.[3]
In the 16th century, Kashan became a major hub for rose water distilleries, whose products were exported to nearby countries such as Bulgaria and Turkey. The golabgiri festival is held here in honor of it retaining the oldest and most traditional methods of rose water distillation: many other cities have adopted modern machinery to speed up processes.[4] The festival itself is around 1,000 years old.
