Such a fine bouquet: Taif roses are for admiring, accouterment and adornment. Also good business.

Each April, some 2,000 farms in the highlands near Taif in Saudi Arabia turn pink. The air is heavy with the fragrance of roses as a single species of the oil-rich 30-petal damask rose comes into bloom.

For three centuries, this rose has been cultivated here and has been processed into attar (perfume or essence) of roses and rose water.

Blessed with a climate that makes it a refuge from the heat of nearby Jeddah and Mecca, the highland haven of Taif is one of Saudi Arabia’s fruit baskets, as well as a popular summer resort. West of the city, the land rises above 2,000 meters (6,400 feet), and it is here that favorable temperatures, abundant water, a well-established irrigation systems and fine topsoil have combined to earn the region the name “Arabia’s Rose,” ever since roses began to be cultivated here in the Ottoman era.

About two centuries ago, distillers brought their craft to Taif. Here, close to the rose fields, the manufacture of rose oil was more efficient, because the volatile rose oils evaporate rapidly from harvested petals. Soon after the establishment of these distilleries, Taif rose oil began to win acclaim from all over the Muslim world.

A well-stoppered bottle of attar will endure for years, perhaps even indefinitely. But the glory of the Taif rose is ephemeral. The flowering lasts only for the month of April. Visitors willing to lend a hand are most appreciated at harvest time. Every day, harvesting begins at dawn and is over by 7:00 a.m. Because, by noon, an unpicked blossom will already have lost half the oil it had at dawn.

From the fields, the roses are carried to distilleries in Taif where they are weighed and poured into large copper pots, each of which can hold 10,000 to 20,000 roses. Water is added and the roses are simmered for six hours. The distillation process produces droplets of essential oil which are further distilled a second time, eventually producing one tolah of attar, a mere 11.6 grams, which may retail for $500 to $800.

Taif rose oil, which is considered one of the most precious essential oils in aromatherapy, is credited with miraculous properties. It is supposed to help in the treatment of depression, to help reduce tension and stress. It is meant to cure headaches and insomnia, is considered a powerful sexual tonic and of great help during menopause.

The oil also enjoys wide culinary popularity. It is particularly sought-after during Ramadan, and during Eid al-Fitr that follows Ramadan, when it is added to custards, jellies, sweets and other desserts for its fragrance.

But the oil of the Taif rose, above all, awakens positive emotions and is a common component in Arabian perfumes. The next time you enjoy a fragrance with an underlying bouquet of rose, for all you know, it might be from a Taif rose. You’ll also be supporting a rose cultivator in Saudi Arabia’s lovely region.

(Umita Venkataraman of Al Arabiya can be reached at: [email protected])