Saudi Arabia’s city Taif blooms in Ramazan

TAIF, Saudi Arabia: Every spring, roses bloom in the western Saudi city of Taif, turning pockets of the kingdom’s vast desert landscape a vivid and fragrant pink.

In April, they are harvested for the essential oil used to cleanse the outer walls of the sacred Kaaba, the cubic structure in the holy city of Makkah towards which Muslims around the world pray.

This year, the harvest falls during the holy fasting month of Ramazan, which observant Muslims devote to prayer and reflection. Workers at the Bin Salman farm tend rose bushes and pick tens of thousands of flowers each day to produce rose water and oil, also prized components in the cosmetic and culinary industries.

The perfumed oil has become popular among the millions of Muslims who visit the kingdom every year for pilgrimages. Patterns of plants and flowers have long been part of Islamic art. Known as the city of roses, with approximately 300 million blooms every year, Taif has more than 800 flower farms, many of which have opened their doors to visitors.