Soma
Resources => Other Cultures [Public] => Topic started by: Jennifer- on May 20, 2008, 08:54:36 PM
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When I set my search to explore another culture.. I found myself in the desert.. the sun penetrating the mind with little relief. Yes, this is where I must go.. Saudi Arabia whispered.. arrows following the underground springs.
Pushed this way and that I move with the flow.. where am I, who do I seek?
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(http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/939/50160297.JPG)
(http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/849/20231149.JPG)
Bedouin Dagger
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Bedouin Pestle and Mortar used to make fresh Coffee
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Bedouin Cooling Dish for Coffee
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Bedouin Silk Coffee Bag
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In the Middle East there have always been three mutually dependent population groups: The nomads (Bedouin), the settled farmers (Fellahin, Hadhar), and the urban city dwellers. Because they are often on the move, the Bedouin traditionally had few material goods, their main possessions being their animals and their tent. The Bedouin lived off their herds and were employed as guides and drivers for the trading caravans. They were also paid safe conduct money for pacifying the desert trade routes. The Bedouin are excellent trackers, recognising animal and human tracks and are able to find their way without compass or map in the desert. This has made them valuable as scouts for various armies.
The largest social unit amongst the Bedouin is the tribe (qabila) which is divided into clans (qawm). Each clan owns its own wells and grazing grounds, and it was the raiding unit of past generations. Clans are divided into family groups (Hayy, Fakhida) which consist of all those related back to five generations (having the same great-great-grandfather in the paternal line). The Hayy is the herding unit, its member families camping together most of the year. It is subdivided into kin groups, (extended families), which consist of the relatives through three generations. The kin group is responsible for all its individual members in matters of morals and honour, including blood vengeance.
Family ties are very strong and are reinforced by intermarriage within the tribe, preferrably to cousins (father's brother's daughters). Each unit has a strong sense of collective honour and loyalty which it defends against all other groups.
Bedouin society is patriarchal, all members of a tribe claiming descent by male line from a common ancestor. The Sheikh as leader of the tribe has considerable power but is limited by custom, precedent and the advice of the council of tribal elders. Age is respected as it has the experience crucial for survival in a difficult environment. The Sheikh is elected from a noble family, any member of that family being eligible for the position when he dies. The eldest male is accepted as ruler of each family unit.
The Bedouin have kept their lifestyle through the centuries, controlled by a strict code of rules which it is shameful ('Eib) to break. It stresses the values of loyalty to the tribe, obedience, generousity, hospitality, honour, cunning and revenge.
Each tribe has inherited rights to carefully defined grazing lands which include a summer and a winter camping ground. Bedouin in the past spent much time in raiding, hunting and war in the pursuit of which they were capable of enduring severe physical hardships. Today smuggling often is a substitute for these forbidden "manly" activities.
Although there are loose tribal confederations, there has rarely been a large scale political organisation into anything like a state. Bedouin history is a repeated cycle of inter-tribal warfare giving way to some sort of centralised rule, and then disintegrating back into chaos. Feuds, warfare and instability have always characterised desert life.
The noble tribes are those who can trace their ancestry back to either Qaysi (northern Arabian) or Yamani (southern Arabian) origin. There are also "ancestorless" vassal tribes living under their protection who make a living by serving them as blacksmiths, tinkers, artisans and entertainers.
The Salubba are one such special client tribe of tinkers and trackers who exist as separate families attached to other tribes. They are at the bottom of the Bedouin social scale, mending pots, making saddles, acting as guides and as entertainers. The Salubba have only a rudimentary knowledge of Islam. They are monogamous and their women are relatively free. They have a non-Semitic appearance and traces of foreign roots in their Arabic. Some think they are descendants of Crusaders (their name means little cross, and they use a cross as their brand mark). Others think they are Gypsies, and some see them as descendants of aboriginal Arabian stock.
Other aborigine tribes are the Qara, Mahra and Harasis of the south, in the border regions between Oman and Yemen.
In Arabia and the adjacent deserts there are around 100 large tribes of 1,000 members or more. Some tribes number up to 20,000 and a few of the larger tribes may have up to 100,000 members.
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THE BEDOUIN TENT AND CAMP
The Bedouin have always lived in the long, low, black tent made of goat and camel hair cloth woven by the women. It is supported by a line of tall central poles in the middle, whilst the front, back and sides are supported on lower poles. The number of poles is an indication of the owner's wealth and social standing.
The tent is very well adapted to desert life. It can be packed up and ready to be moved within an hour. It is waterproof as the wool and hair from which it is woven expand when wet. It is warm in the cold desert nights and provides shelter from the wind. At midday, when the desert is extremely hot, the sides and back can be rolled up to let the breeze through, and it then offers a shaded and cool space. It can also be easily repaired when damaged.
The men's living quarter is at the front of the tent and is divided by a curtain from that of the women. The men's quarter is also used for receiving guests. The all important coffee hearth is scooped out of the sand in front of it, and the coffee making and serving implements lie nearby. The women can watch their menfolk and their visitors by looking over the dividing wall. The family lives, sleeps and cooks its food in the women's quarter.
The floor is covered by rugs and cushions for sitting and sleeping. The stores of water and food are stacked at the back in sacks and containers. The more affluent may have an electricity generator for light and power, a TV set, a sewing machine and other modern appliances. Outside the tent, a tractor and pickup van may compete with the camels and the flocks.
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(http://www.beduinweaving.com/images/tent01.jpg)
(http://www.beduinweaving.com/images/tent02.jpg)
(http://www.beduinweaving.com/images/tent03.jpg)
(http://www.beduinweaving.com/images/tent04.jpg)
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BEDOUIN CLOTHES
Bedouin traditionally wore loose flowing robes that covered them from head to foot as they knew from experience that the best protection from the fierce sunshine, wind and sand of the desert is to cover every part of their bodies.
Men wear a long cotton shirt (thawb) with a belt, covered by a flowing outer garment ('abay). In winter they may wear a waterproof coat of woven camel's hair. Their heads are covered by a large headcloth, the Keffiya, which can be white, red and white, or black and white in colour. The Keffiya is held in place by a double black cord known as the 'Agal, and it is used also to protect face and neck.
Bedouin women wear long sleeved, ankle long dresses, and beneath them ankle length pantaloons. The dresses are beautifully embroidered and sometimes dyed in brilliant colours. A black headcloth covers their hair.
Many Bedouin today have taken to wearing western style dress, so both types of clothing and their various combinations can be seen.
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(http://www.edu-negev.gov.il/bs/telelmalach/lebas2.gif)
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BEDOUIN WOMEN
The status of women is low, although Bedouin women are less segregated than town and village women and they are not generally veiled. Women have to work hard as they tend the flocks, do the housework, cook, take care of the small children, draw water, spin and weave. They are also responsible for dismantling the tent and setting it up again. They used to be worn out and old by forty.
Women are protected by a strict code of honour and they can move about relatively free and talk to other men. The women's long hair is often dyed with henna. Older women have their faces tattooed with blue dots.
Children usually help with tending the flocks and collecting brushwood for the fires.
Marriages are prearranged but the young people do know each other and have some say in the matter. Marriage is always preferred between cousins, especially children of the father's brothers. The cousin has the first right to the girl's hand, and if she wants to marry another man she needs his permission.
Women share in the inheritance so the family property remains intact. Polygamy, though allowed by Islam (up to four wives) is rare, but divorce is easy and common. The divorced woman and the widow return to live in their father's tent.
In the past, great Sheikhs would have many wives and concubines, these marital alliances cementing political ties. It is claimed that King Abdul-Aziz ibn-Saud, founder of Saudi-Arabia, had at least twenty-two wives representing most major Arabian tribes (plus many concubines) who bore him forty-seven sons and many daughters. Their descendants now number over 30,000 Saudi-Arabians, and are the elite of the kingdom binding it together by their blood ties.
Weddings are a festive occasion when a sheep or sometimes a camel is slaughtered. The young couple join the husband's family clan.
The main Bedouin crafts of weaving, pottery and basket making are mostly practiced by the women.
(http://www.4egypt.info/images/tentladies.jpg)
(http://z.about.com/d/cruises/1/0/8/T/3/sinai011.JPG)
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(http://www.ethnicdenim.com/fashion-blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/bedouin2.jpg)
FOOD
The Bedouin were often on the brink of famine and children are still often undernourished because of the low nutrition diet. Bedouin food can be monotonous. Wheat, barley and rice are the cereals used and small amounts of dried fruits, mainly dates grown in the oases, are also eaten.
Milk, yoghurt and cheese from their herds form the staple part of their diet. Thin, unleavened loaves of bread are baked on a hot, convex iron plate over an open fire. Meat, usually mutton, is a luxury eaten only a few times a year by the poorer Bedouins, usually at a festival or on the arrival of a guest. Samneh (clarified butter) is the fat used for cooking
The main meal of the day is eaten in the evening after the animals have been milked. It is usually cooked in a large tinned copper pot over an open fire and may consist of rice cooked with samneh, and some dates for dessert. The family members squat around the large platter on which the food is piled. One leg is folded underneath them and the other knee is raised in front of them to rest their arm on. They use only their right hand for eating, (the left hand used for wiping themselves is considered unclean), and with it they tear pieces of bread from the thin loaves with which they scoop up some food and carry it to their mouths.
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HOSPITALITY
Hospitality (diyafa) is the highest Bedouin virtue. Any stranger, even an enemy, can approach a tent and be sure of three days board, lodging and protection after which he may leave in peace. A complex code of manners regulates this and all other relationships.
When a guest arrives, a rug is immediately spread out and he will be first served sweet tea in small glasses. The main ritual of Bedouin hospitality is the preparation of coffee. The beans are roasted and then pounded in a mortar. A long beaked brass coffee pot is filled with water, and the ground coffee mixed with some cardammon seeds is poured into it. The mixture is brought to the boil three times, and after allowing it to settle for a few minutes it is served in tiny, egg cup shaped china cups. The visitor is served again and again. Coffee making is an art, and Beduin women (and men) are proud of their skill in it.
Bedouin will offer their guests a rich meal, even if they have to slaughter their last sheep, or borrow from their neighbours to do it. Their honour is bound to their hospitality and lavish generosity.
(http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/bedouins10.jpg)
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HERDING AND MIGRATION
Natural pasture is very scant and the grazing available for herds in one spot is quickly finished, so the Bedouin have to move on in search of fresh pastures elsewhere. They migrate into the desert during the rainy season (December-January) and move back towards cultivated lands at the start of the dry season (April). Trees are very rare, but desert bushes furnish some grazing and firewood. Bedouin sow patches of grain in the moist wadi beds in the autumn and the harvest depends on the amount of rainfall during that season.
The Bedouin are true nomads, meaning that they move horizontally from one district to another in search of pasture (another form of nomadism, transhumance, is practiced in mountain areas by Kurds, Berbers and others who move from lower to higher altitudes in the different seasons).
During their winter and spring migrations some Bedouin tribes travel 4000 km and more. The camel owning tribes travel the greatest distances, the sheep and goat herders are limited by the sheep who need water frequently. Camels can go seven to ten days without water, sheep four, cattle only two.
The Camel breeders are regarded as the noblest tribes. They occupy huge territories, travel great distances, and are organised in large tribes and tribal confederations in the Sahara, Syrian and Arabian deserts. Lower in rank are the sheep and goat breeders who stay mainly near the cultivated regions of Jordan, Israel, Syria and Iraq. Cattle breeding Bedouins are found mainly in South Arabia and in the Sudan. The Marsh Bedouin are a unique group adapted to life in the swamps of southern Iraq where they herd water buffaloes. Following the Gulf War many had to flee to Iran to escape Saddam Hussein's persecutions, many swamps are being drained, and their traditional lifestyle is disappearing.
The camel enables the Bedouin to move far away from water sources (it can drink 150 litres and then go for ten days without further watering). Bedouins can survive for months on its milk and if necessary slaughter it for meat. It also provides hair for tent cloth and clothes, fuel (dung), transportation (it can carry up to 180 kg) and power for drawing water or for ploughing.
Camels were obviously the Bedouin's best investment and trading commodity. They are called "God's gift", and the Bedouin will cater to their need before taking care of their own. The best breeds of the one-humped Arabian camel were bred in Oman.
Sheep and goats provide milk, wool and meat for the Bedouin's own consumption and cash from supplying them to village and town markets.
The Arabian horse is famous for its beauty and endurance and is still used for fast travel and hunting. The Salukis, a breed of fast hunting dog, are also popular.
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(http://www.arabian-horses-legacy.com/image-files/bedouins1.jpg)
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RAIDING
Raiding (ghazw) used to be an important means of supplementing the tribal economy, especially in times of drought, and it followed strict rules. Settled communities and caravans had to pay tolls and protection money to avoid raids.
The swift raids employed cunning and guile. Bloodshed was avoided as far as possible. Goods, women and children become property of the victors. Successful leadership in raiding was a way of building up the leader's personal reputation and power. Muhammad led his followers on some caravan raids. King Ibn-Saud conquered all of Arabia through successful tribal raids on a large scale.
Strong central governments now severely punish raiding, and it is dying out. Smuggling has become a favourite alternative to raiding.
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Ancient Bedouin religion was animistic. Later, gods such as Manat, ‘Uzza, Allat, Baal, Sin and Ishtar took the place of the spirits of the trees, fountains and sacred stones. In the pre-Islamic age, most Arabian Bedouin tribes were pagan while others had converted to Judaism or Christianity. With the rise of Islam most accepted the new religion and became converts. Islam became the basis of Bedouin social and religious life, although many pre-Islamic beliefs and customs were still retained,
Today, the Bedouin usually form the poorest social group in the area in which they live –once dominant, they are now marginalised and regarded by many as “primitive”. They see themselves and their way of life, however, as the most noble in Arab society. The majority of Jordan’s population is of Bedouin origin.
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Dance
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(http://www.ciaohotel.net/Bedouin%202.jpg)
(http://www.zawaj.com/weddingways/images/sudan/sword_dance.jpg)
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:)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Bedouin04.jpg/180px-Bedouin04.jpg)
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Poetry
Storm in the Desert
But come, my friends, as we stand here mourning, do you see the lightning?
See its glittering, like the flash of two moving hands, amid the thick gathering clouds.
Its glory shines like the lamps of a monk when he has dipped their wicks thick in oil.
I sat down with my companions and watched the lightning and the coming storm.
So wide-spread was the rain that its right end seemed over Quatan,
Yet we could see its left end pouring down on Satar, and beyond that over Yazbul.
So mighty was the storm that it hurled upon their faces the huge kanahbul trees,
The spray of it drove the wild goats down from the hills of Quanan.
In the gardens of Taimaa not a date-tree was left standing,
Nor a building, except those strengthened with heavy stones.
The mountain, at the first downpour of the rain, looked like a
giant of our people draped in a striped cloak.
The peak of Mujaimir in the flood and rush of debris looked
like a whirling spindle.
The clouds poured forth their gift on the desert of Ghabeet, till it blossomed
As though a Yemani merchant were spreading out all the rich clothes from his trunks,
As though the little birds of the valley of Jiwaa awakened in the morning
And burst forth in song after a morning draught of old, pure, spiced wine.
As though all the wild beasts had been covered with sand and mud,
like the onion's root-bulbs.
They were drowned and lost in the depths of the desert at evening.
Imr-Al-Quais
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Age and Wisdom
I have grown weary of the troubles of life; and he
who lives eighty years will, may you have no father
if you doubt, grow weary.
And I know what has happened to-day and yesterday,
before it, but verily, of the knowledge of what will happen
tomorrow I am ignorant.
I see death is like the blundering of a blind camel—him
whom he meets he kills, and he whom he misses lives and will
become old.
And he who does not act with kindness in many affairs
will be torn by teeth
and trampled under foot.
And he who makes benevolent acts intervene before
honor, increases his honor;
and he who does not avoid abuse, will be abused.
He who is possessed of plenty, and is miserly with his
great wealth toward his people, will be dispensed with,
and abused.
He who keeps his word, will not be reviled;
and he whose heart is guided to self-satisfying benevolence
will not stammer.
And he who dreads the causes of death, they will reach
him, even if he ascends the tracts of the heavens
with a ladder.
And he who shows kindness to one not deserving it, his
praise will be a reproach against him, and he will repent of
having shown kindness.
And he who rebels against the butt ends of the spears,
then verily he will have to obey the spear points joined to
every long spear shaft.
And he who does not repulse with his weapons from his
tank, will have it broken; and he who does not oppress the
people will be oppressed.
And he who travels should consider his friend an enemy;
and he who does not respect himself
will not be respected.
And he who is always seeking to bear the burdens of
other people, and does not excuse himself from it,
will one day by reason of his abasement, repent.
And whatever of character there is in a man, even though
he thinks it concealed from people,
it is known.
He who does not cease asking people to carry him, and
does not make himself independent of them even for one day
of the time, will be regarded with disgust.
Many silent ones you see, pleasing to you,
but their excess in wisdom or deficiency
will appear at the time of talking.
The tongue of a man is one half, and the other half is his
mind, and here is nothing besides these two, except the shape
of the blood and the flesh.
And verily, as to the folly of an old man,
there is no wisdom after it,
but the young man after his folly may become wise.
We asked of you, and you gave, and we returned to the
asking and you returned to the giving, and he who increases
the asking, will one day be disappointed.
Zuhair
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Bedouins mark their graves with exceptional simplicity, placing one ordinary stone at the head of the grave and one at its foot. Moreover, it is traditional to leave the clothes of the deceased atop the grave, to be adopted by whatever needy travellers may pass by.
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/00662/algeria-bedouin_662574c.jpg)
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The national culture and its symbolism include performances such as the ardah, where men dance waving swords in the air; the recitation of epic poems about historical events related to tribal affairs; and national sports competitions. The distinctive clothing worn by both men and women conforms with Muslim dress codes that prescribe modesty for both sexes but especially women.
Saudi Arabia's most powerful cultural symbols are those linked to Islam. The ritual celebrations that have the strongest hold on people's imaginations are the holy month of Ramadan, the holy pilgrimage (haj) to Mecca, and the Muslim feasts of Id al-Fitr and Id al-Adha, which occur after the end of Ramadan and in conjunction with the pilgrimage, respectively. Other important rituals are the more private social celebrations of weddings, visits (especially among women) for joyous and sad occasions, extended family and clan reunions and other kin-based socializing, and the expression of condolences and participation in funerals.
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Rituals and Holy Places. The major everyday rituals are related to the five daily prayers that constitute one of the five pillars of Islam. Those who pray face Mecca, ideally in a mosque or as a group. The haj (pilgrimage) is another of the five pillars and should be performed at least once in one's life. Visits also take place to the mosque and tomb of Muhammad in Medina. The other three pillars of Islam are witnessing that there is no God but God and Muhammad is His Messenger, fasting during the day throughout the month of Ramadan, and the giving of alms.
Death and the Afterlife. The dead are washed, wrapped in seamless shrouds, and buried in graves facing Mecca without coffins or markers. Burial takes place before sunset on the day of death. The dead go to heaven or hell.
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THE HAJJ: PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA
One of a Muslim's duties, as described in the Five Pillars of Islam, is to go on Hajj at least once during his or her lifetime. This is a pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca) in Saudi Arabia. Approximately two million Muslims went in 1999, of which about one million were from Saudi Arabia, and 6,000 were from the U.S. 1 Council on American-Islamic Relations estimated in 2006 that "some 10,000 American Muslims go on Hajj each year." 7 The number of American pilgrims is increasing yearly. Followers of Islam who cannot go on a Hajj because of ill health or lack of money are excused from the obligation. If one assumes that Muslims go on Hajj a maximum of once during their lifetime, that the number of Muslims in America are about 6.5 million, and that the typical age span for pilgrims is 60 years, then fewer than 10% of American Muslims take part in the pilgrimage.
The Council on Islamic Education states:
"The Hajj consists of several ceremonies, meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of prophet Abraham and his family...Prophet Muhammad had said that a person who performs Hajj properly 'will return as a newly born baby [free of all sins].' The pilgrimage also enables Muslims from all around the world, of different colors, languages, races, and ethnicities, to come together in a spirit of universal brotherhood and sisterhood to worship the One God together." 2
Many Islamic terms have multiple spellings when translated into English. We indicate alternative spellings below with (brackets).
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Preparation for the Hajj
Each pilgrim first enters into ihram. This is a spiritual state of purity during which the person must not quarrel, commit any act of violence or engage in sexual activity. Men signify the state of ihram by bathing, and wearing two pieces of unsewn white cloth: "one covers the body from waist to ankle and the other is thrown over the shoulder." 4 Women usually wear a simple white dress and "a head covering, but not a veil." 4 "The white garments are symbolic of human equality and unity before God, since all the pilgrims are dressed similarly." 2 The pilgrim will then repeat the Talbiyah (Talbeeyah) prayer. One English translation is:
"Here I am, O God, at Thy Command! Here I am at Thy Command! Thou art without associate; Here I am at Thy Command! Thine are praise and grace and dominion! Thou art without associate."
The pilgrim enters the Holy Mosque at Mecca, right foot first, and recites the prayer: "In the name of Allah, may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. Oh Allah, forgive me my sins and open to me the doors of Your mercy. I seek refuge in Allah the Almighty and in His Eminent Face and in His Eternal Dominion from the accursed Satan." The pilgrim performs the tawaf. This is a counter-clockwise procession which circles, "the Ka'aba, the [cube-shaped] stone building Muslims believe was originally built by Abraham and his son Ishmael... It is a symbol of unity for Muslims because all prayers, wherever they are performed, are oriented in the direction of the Ka'aba." 4,6
The pilgrim then performs the sa'i. He hurries seven times between two small hills near the Ka'aba, called Safa and Marwah. This commemorates the desperate search for water and food by Hagar, one of Abraham's wives.
The Hajj:
The Hajj formally begins on the eighth day of Dhul-Hijjah (Zul-Hijjah) - the 12th month of the Muslim lunar calendar. Dr. Monzur Ahmed writes:
"Islamic months begin at sunset on the day of visual sighting of the lunar crescent [following the new moon]... Although it is possible to calculate the position of the moon in the sky with high precision, it is often difficult to predict if a crescent will be visible from a particular location... Usually the moon has to be at least 15 hours old before it can be seen from somewhere on earth." 3
On this first day of the Hajj, the pilgrims walk a few miles to Mina and camp there overnight. This will occur about 2000-MAR-14. It falls on a date about 11 days earlier each year.
The pilgrims spend the "Day of Arafah" (ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah) in Arafah, an empty plain. They commit the entire day to supplication and devotion. In the evening, they move to Muzdalifa. They camp there overnight and offer various prayers.
On the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah, they return to Mina and throw seven pebbles at a pillar that symbolizes Satan's temptation of Abraham. (The Qur'an describes how Satan tried to persuade Abraham to not ritually murder his son Ishmael, as commanded by God). The pilgrims then sacrifice a sheep, recalling how Abraham sacrificed a sheep that God had provided in place of his son. The meat is distributed to friends, relative and the poor. Afterwards, they return to Mecca and perform a final tawaf and sa'i. They symbolize the completion of the Hajj by cutting their hair.
Muslims worldwide gather for communal prayers on the first day of Id al-Adha (Eid-ul-Adha) -- the Feast of Sacrifice or Day of Sacrifice. The first day of this celebration is held on the 10th day of Duhl-Hijja, the last month of the Muslim year. This is the second of the two major Muslim annual holidays. In most areas, this event is celebrated over several days.
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Ramadan (pronounced "rom-a-don") is the holiest period in the Islamic year. It commemorates the month in the year 610 CE when revelations began from God, via the angel Gabriel, to the Prophet Muhammad. These revelations memorized by Muhammad and were later written down as the Qur'an.
During this month, almost all Muslims over the age of 12 are expected to "abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures" from the first light of dawn until sunset. 1 Muslims may opt-out of observing Ramadan for health reasons. The Qur'an states:
"O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint...Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Quran, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting ..." Chapter 2, verses 183 and 185.
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Veiled Woman, Saudi Arabia, 1986
(http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Photography/Images/POD/v/veiled-woman-113007-ga.jpg)
Photograph by Jodi Cobb
"Veiled to all men beyond her family, a young Bedouin woman wears the classic face covering of her people. Given only passing mention in the Koran, Islam's holy book, the veil is an ancient custom traced to India and Persia; it was adopted by Arabia's nomadic tribes, which enforced a strict code of female modesty. The tradition lives on in today's oil-rich Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—a male-dominated culture in which a man's personal and family honor depends on the conduct of females under his care."
—From "Women of Saudi Arabia," October 1987, National Geographic magazine
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Bedu, the Arabic word from which the name bedouin is derived, is a simple, straightforward tag. It means "inhabitant of the desert," and refers generally to the desert-dwelling nomads of Arabia, the Negev, and the Sinai. For most people, however, the word "bedouin" conjures up a much richer and more evocative image--of lyrical, shifting sands, flowing robes, and the long, loping strides of camels.
For several centuries, such images were not far from the truth. In the vast, arid expanses of the Sinai, as in the Negev and the deserts of Arabia, the many tribes of the bedouin journeyed by camel from oasis to oasis, following a traditional way of life and maintaining a pastoral culture of exceptional grace, honor, and beauty.
Most of the bedouin tribes of the Sinai are descended from peoples who migrated from the Arabian peninsula between the 14th and 18th centuries, making the bedouin themselves relatively recent arrivals in this ancient land. Today, many of the bedouin of the Sinai have traded their traditional existence for the pursuits and the conventions of the modern world, as startling changes over the last two decades have irrevocably altered the nature of life for the bedouin and for the land they inhabit. Nonetheless, bedouin culture still survives in the Sinai, where there is a growing appreciation of its value and its fragility.
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Sinai
There are moments in Sinai when one feels as if the history of all the world can be read in its stones. Indeed, the land here is a monument to the antiquity of life on Earth, from the fossilized reef animals of Ras Mohammed to the mines of El Maghara, whose copper fueled the Bronze Age. In many places visitors from thousands of years ago literally recorded their passage in stone, as at the Rock of Inscriptions near Dahab. And at Serabit El-Khadem, near ancient mining sites, archaeologists have discovered carvings that record the very earliest emergence of our alphabet.
All three of the West's great religious traditions--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--know Sinai as a holy land, a vast expanse traversed time and again by prophets, saints, pilgrims, and warriors. Sinai is most familiar to many as the "great and terrible wilderness" through which the Israelites wandered for forty years. However, it was also the path by which Amr swept down into Egypt in 640 AD, bringing Islam in his wake. Even after the muslim conquest, the monks of St. Catherine Monastery (founded in 547 AD) continued to greet pilgrims to the site of the Burning Bush.
Many of the most memorable conquerors have passed through Sinai as well. Alexander the Great crossed at the head of a great army, as did Ramses II, Napoleon Bonaparte, and (in the opposite direction) Salah el-Din. The Arab-Israeli conflicts of this century raged across the Sinai as well, their passage still evident in the ghostly wreckage that marks certain parts of the Suez coast.
In recent years, and for the first time, the history of Sinai seems to be emerging as a story about the land itself--its artifacts, its people, and its extraordinary natural beauty--rather than the story of those who pass through that land. Today, it is the Sinai's brilliant coral reefs, its striking mountains and deserts, and its enormous cultural heritage that hold the future--once again, though in a very different way, the history of Sinai seems to be written in the land itself.
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"In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai..." --Exodus, Chapter 19
The Mountain of Moses
By any other standards, Mt. Sinai would be just another barren peak lost among the martian landscape of Southern Sinai. It is neither the highest mountain in the region, nor the most dramatic; there is no soaring, heaven-reaching apex, and it is rare to see anything resembling a divine shroud of clouds hugging its peak. Were it not for a single, overwhelming belief that has endured for over fifteen centuries, Mt. Sinai would probably be a topographical footnote.
But this is the mountain where God spoke to Moses. That, at least, is the overwhelming belief, and the belief itself has drawn pilgrims for over a thousand years. Although no archeological evidence of Moses' presence on the mountain exists, there are abundant relics of faith throughout the eons. Ancient chapels and structures honoring saints and the Virgin Mary appear all along the main route, called Sikket Saydna Musa ("The Path of Moses"), including a stone-hewn arch where, long ago, a monk once sat and heard confession from the pilgrims. Nearing the summit, one encounters the natural amphitheater where the 70 wise men waited while God spoke with Moses, then finally a small chapel and mosque at the top.
It seems strange, almost, to speak of a mountain like Mt. Sinai in clinical terms. There is so much mystery surrounding the mountain, so much spiritual projection and adulation, that one can easily forget that it is, after all, a mountain, and climbing it requires an individual to be in moderate shape. It takes about 3 hours to climb the 7,498-foot peak following the Path of Moses, a stairway of nearly 4,000 steps. There is a longer, less strenuous route up the opposite side, though it is less scenic. In both cases, one should bring good hiking shoes and plenty of water, the latter of which Moses himself probably brought when he climbed it.
(http://web.princeton.edu/sites/Archaeology/rp/sinaiexhibit/images/1A.jpg)
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(http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/photos/sevcik/sinai-desert--sinaj-3.jpg)
In preIslamic times in Arabia and also in Mecca the goddess Al'Lat (Q're), Al'Uzza and Menat or Manat were well known. In the 'Al Haram' on the Ka'bah in Mecca - which was build also prior to Muhammad - the corners are aligned to very special Azimuths, an special object is directed to East-South East.
The goddess Al'Uzza was connected with the planet Venus as the morning star. The astrologic symbol of the conjunction of Venus and Moon is full loaded with its attributes of beauty, sensitivity and warmth. Above the eastern horizon this conjunction is placed in the 12th astrologic house and symbols with it the sensitivity, holiness and seclusion of love to a 'place of the woman' (Arab. 'Haram'). 'El Haram' is 'the holy place of the woman'. In the Hebrew language 'Beth-ha-Ram' means a "place or house east of Jordan".
A worship of this holy place is processed ever in the 12th (Moon-)month of the Islam calendar at a time when the moon builds a trigonal aspect to the sun, this is ever exact 10 days after the Islam New-Moon event.
From this preIslamic time exist also reports about the goddess in Arabia. Epiphanius, bishop of Salamis, Cyprus, wrote in the 4th century C.E., that the Nebataens worship a virgin 'Chaabou'. He also has heard the name of kabu, ("rectangular stone"), as a symbol of the goddess "Al'Lat". An Arabian scribe had said to him, that a stone with four sides was worship as "Al'Lat", which is named in a Nebataen inscription as "Mother of gods". Epiphanius said, that the male deity 'Dusares' (dhu Saar) (Greeks call him: Dionisos) was an offspring of the virgin 'Chaabou'. The title of the goddess 'Al'lat' is "Mother of the gods". The "Great Mother of the gods" of the Babylonian was 'be Ælet ilaµni' ("Queen of gods"), and this her title was also "Mother Goddess". Epiphanius has identified 'Chaabou' also with the goddess 'Core' or 'Kore', who is called 'Ashtar' by the northern Semites and 'Ishtar' by the Babylonians. [1].
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(http://doormann.tripod.com/lilith01.jpg)
(http://www.richard-seaman.com/Travel/Egypt/BedouinBoyOnCamel.jpg)
(http://www.gaychristian101.com/images/BedouinLadies.jpg)
(http://www.templemicah.org/communityevents/israel-mission-iii-blog/archive/2006/04/images/beddinner2.jpg)
(http://www.kurbantours.com/uae/site_desert.jpg)
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(http://www.ilya.dk/images/SinaiGallarySimple/index.htm)
(http://www.ilya.dk/images/SinaiGallarySimple/index.htm)
Of the animals the camel is the best. It was the nomad's vehicle of transportation and his medium of exchange. The dowry of the bride, the price of blood were estimated in terms of camels. It is the Bedouin's constant companion. He drinks its milk; he feasts on its flesh; he covers himself with its skin; he makes his tent of its hair. Its dung is used as fuel. It is his shelter in the cold winter nights and protector against sandstorms. To him the camel is more than "the ship of the desert"; it is the special gift of Allah: Ata' Allah.
(http://www.friendlyplanet.com/images/bedouin-camel-israel.jpg)
(http://blog.lib.umn.edu/mill1974/EGAD/images/Israel05/sin_mtsin_pds.jpg)
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[2:269] He [Allah] grants wisdom to whom He pleases; and he to whom wisdom is granted indeed receives a benefit overflowing. But none will grasp the Message except men of understanding.
[20:114] High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth. Do not be in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to you is completed, but say, "O my Sustainer! Increase my knowledge."
[3:190-191] Verily in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day - there are indeed signs for men of understanding; Men who remember Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth (with the thought) "Our Lord! Not for nothing have You created (all) this. Glory to You! Give us salvation from the suffering of the Fire."
[39:9] ...Say: Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that remember (Allah's Message).
[58:11] ...Allah will raise up to (suitable) ranks (and degrees) those of you who believe and who have been granted knowledge.
(http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/aqsa3.gif)
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The origin of the words 'Belly Dance'
The origin of the name 'belly dance' comes from the French ''Dance du ventre' , which translates as "dance of the stomach". Belly dance is also often referred to as "oriental dance" and also sometimes raks sharqui. This is Arabic for "Dance of the east".
Origins of Belly Dance
The type and style of dancing which we now call belly dance, can be traced back over 6000 plus years. The early pagan communities often worshipped a matriarchal deity and extolled the magic and fascination of the ability of women to create life. There is a lot of historical evidence which links the ritual of fertility dances at that time, with symbolic re-creations of giving birth, to modern belly dancing. The sharp hip movements, deliberate muscular contractions and spasms, as well as sinewy undulations, demonstrate strong connections to the body's responses during labour and delivery. The dances spread from Mesopotamia to North Africa, Rome, Spain and India. It is thought gypsies travelled and spread belly dance. This blending can be seen in the use of the neck slides introduced from India and the transformation of hip shimmy to foot stamping in flamenco dance.
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Arabian Faces
12 watercolors by Ali Zhang
(http://www.shira.net/drawings/arabian01.JPG)
(http://www.shira.net/drawings/arabian-2.JPG)
(http://www.shira.net/drawings/arabian03.JPG)
(http://www.shira.net/drawings/arabian04.JPG)
(http://www.shira.net/drawings/arabian05.JPG)
(http://www.shira.net/drawings/arabian06.JPG)
(http://www.shira.net/drawings/arabian07.JPG)
(http://www.shira.net/drawings/arabian08.JPG)
(http://www.shira.net/drawings/arabian09.JPG)
(http://www.shira.net/drawings/arabian10.JPG)
(http://www.shira.net/drawings/arabian11.JPG)
(http://www.shira.net/drawings/arabian12.JPG)
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Arabian Faces
There is something I find fascinatingly beautiful about these pictures, masks.