Golabgiri (Making Rosewater)

Golabgiri is an interesting ancient ceremony of Iran - as the birthplace of rosewater production in the world - dating back to about one thousand years ago. This ceremony takes place annually from mid-May to mid-June throughout Kashan county of the Isfahan Province of Iran including Ghamsar, Niasar, and other areas such as Mehriz, Barzak, Azvar, Lalehzar Bardsir, Shahmirzad, Damghan, Vamarzan, Dodangeh, etc. During this event, which annually attracts tens of thousands of tourists, the essence of a special type of rose called “Gole Mohammadi”, which is planted in many flower gardens in these areas (and plucked with special religious customs) is prepared by a traditional system of evaporation.

Quality-wise the rosewater of Ghamsar is considered the best rosewater in the world. In terms of purity, rosewater is divided into several categories: heavy rosewater (first grade), light rose (second grade), “doatashe” (double fire rosewater), “sehatashe” (three fire rosewater), and sub-aromatic rose.

Besides its usage in food, medicine, and cosmetics, the Iranian rosewater is also of religious importance and is used to perfume religious spaces and washing the house of Ka’ba in Mecca.