Capturing the scent of Palestinian life in a bottle

A younger Palestinian couple in Jerusalem have produced a spread of perfumes to embody the heritage of their folks. Regardless of the horror of the conflict in Gaza, they hope their scents can nonetheless summon reminiscences of a greater time, as Sebastian Usher experiences from Jerusalem.

Out within the fields of the Jordan valley, Palestinian ladies nonetheless sing previous people songs as they harvest the olive groves. One tells the story of how a fabled ship carrying a life-saving cargo of meals heads to port throughout a horrible famine that swept the Levant within the dying days of Ottoman rule. Whereas within the Outdated Metropolis of Jerusalem, the scents of leather-based, spices and livestock fuse right into a perfume that evokes hundreds of years of historical past.

“We’re attempting to ship a message to folks via our perfumes, revealing our heritage and the scent of our land,” Qassem Abu Khalaf says as he explains the motivation behind the Mejana perfume line that he’s arrange together with his spouse, Malak Hijazi.

The younger couple are Palestinians from the Beit Hanina district in occupied East Jerusalem. He’s a complicated supplies engineer and she or he is an English and particular wants instructor. Their perfume line grew from a ardour Qassem developed over time for producing the very best quality perfumes. He labored at evening on his concepts, increase a library of a whole bunch of elements.

In a restaurant in East Jerusalem amid the continuing conflict in Gaza, he says the 5 scents he’s up to now produced are supposed to let folks maintain a chunk of Palestinian historical past of their fingers. Whereas for Palestinians themselves, he hopes that it’s a approach to reconnect with their roots in a Proustian rush of reminiscence triggered by an aroma.

He and Malak selected the title Mejana, because it’s a phrase that describes the previous songs that Palestinians sing as they’re working.

“Mejana has a particular rhythm while you sing it,” Malak says. “It means pleasure and happiness. We selected it, as a result of while you scent a particular perfume, you’re feeling good, you’re feeling comfortable in the identical kind of method.”

Palestinian people reminiscence additionally influenced the naming of their first two scents. Zaref Atool is a darkish, heavy perfume – very a lot what folks count on from an oriental model. Qassem says it’s supposed to conjure up the texture of the traditional, labyrinthine alleyways of the Outdated Metropolis of Jerusalem. It’s named after the principle character in a well-liked previous tune – through which the singer laments {that a} tall, good-looking younger man is leaving his Palestinian homeland to journey far-off.

The opposite perfume is named Rozana, after a ship that was feverishly anticipated by folks ravenous throughout Palestine, Lebanon and Syria after failed wheat harvests 100 years in the past. It was meant to ship salvation, however solely introduced additional bitter disappointment and loss – as its cargo contained virtually nothing to eat. Once more, there’s a well-known tune impressed by the story that’s been sung by most of the nice Arab singers, comparable to Fairouz and Sabah.

“I like our identification, our heritage, our folklore and I’m happy with it,” says Malak.

If the previous is their inspiration, then the current has sophisticated their efforts to create and launch a model that celebrates Palestinian identification.

“We launched our model on 27 September final yr,” Malak says. “We went to 2 bazaars in Jerusalem however then the conflict started and put a cease to every thing for a lot of months.”

The souks and retailers within the Outdated Metropolis and elsewhere in Israel and the occupied West Financial institution are denuded of vacationers, as shopkeepers attempt to survive on the nonetheless bustling native market.

Qassem and Malak have had some success promoting their fragrances to the Palestinian diaspora – in Australia specifically. They usually have continued undeterred, producing a second vary of three perfumes, fantastically introduced in a field painted by a Palestinian artist with native flowers and wildlife.

The perfumes themselves are contained in picket capsules with a key embossed on one facet, which opens up the gold dispenser when turned. A big previous key’s an emblem of all of the Palestinian houses misplaced when a whole bunch of hundreds had been expelled or fled through the conflict in 1948 that established the State of Israel.

“After we selected the important thing, it was about our reminiscences,” Malak say. “It’s designed somewhat bit in a different way from the normal Palestinian key, however it’s associated to it. Whenever you scent a selected scent, it brings again stunning reminiscences. So, it’s the key to our ancestors and our childhood reminiscences.”

The couple haven’t solely simply produced their new vary of perfumes – with mixtures comparable to tuberose and berry, and coconut and agarwood – but additionally their first baby – a daughter, Sadeel.

Qassem and Malak say it’s a troublesome time to deliver new life right into a world in such battle. Malak says she feels responsible about it however she needed to cease watching information about Gaza throughout her being pregnant because it was inflicting her a lot stress – and she or he feared it would negatively have an effect on her child.

“It’s not straightforward,” Qassem says. “However we hope every thing will come to an finish and we’ll have peace. Slightly peace of thoughts, too.”