Lightly strong yet absolutely aromatic, this Arabic incense made me feel good very quickly
Walking through the corridor of our apartment floor one day, I was captivated by a sweet aromatic scent, that lifted up my senses and made me nostalgic. It was coming from a neighbour’s house, with its smoke forming a light haze in the dimly lit stairway.
Yes, I recalled; it reminded me of the incense used in our Orthodox Church. It wasn’t the same fragrance but something similar.
Incense in the Orthodox Church is made by powdering frankincense and mixing it with essential oils. It is burnt in a censor, often during the service and represents prayers that are lifted up into the heavens before God. With the incense, we pray that God accepts our prayers in His grace and mercy.
Anyway, curious to know what the scent in the corridor was made from, I knocked at my neighbour’s door.
She’s a student at a local university and we had recently got acquainted. Surprised at my interest, she happily engaged me in a conversation about the incense, over a cup of coffee and some chocolates.
“Bukhoor,” she said is an ancient Arabic incense used in Middle-Eastern households that is made out of “Oudh” or Agarwood, soaked in pure essential oils and other natural ingredients like resins, musk and sandalwood.
“This post contains affiliate links. This means that at no additional cost to you, you help me earn a commission from the products you purchase using these links. For more information please visit the disclosure page.”
These scented wood chips are then burnt in incense burners to perfume the house and even clothes. She showed me different types of the incense.
“Although there are a lot in the stores that have a synthetic perfume, it is the authentic fragrance that has caught your attention”, she said.
According to traditions, Bukhoor is known to boost positive energy and is a great gesture of hospitality. It is also believed to create a healing effect and spark creativity.
In her enthusiasm and to my delight, she gave me a little of the incense powder to try, along with a charcoal burner!!
Next morning, I lit the Bukhoor in the burner and swayed it along the corners of my house. Soon enough, the air was filled with the same sweet and beautiful scent!
Allured, I was and how!
Found this post useful? You might like reading these as well:
Moving to Bahrain- first thoughts
A visit to Al Fatih Grand Mosque in Bahrain
How to apply for a Bahrain tourist visa online?
A visit to Al Areen Wildlife Park and Reserve Bahrain
Pn and save this post
More from the blog
Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral Bahrain | Gulf’s largest Roman Catholic Church
My reflections on the Being Habitually Healthy Challenge 2019
Quinoa chicken biryani | gluten free recipe
21 gift ideas for Father’s Day
Why it is okay to be different- Rudolf’s story
Away from the hustle-bustle, in serene Kerala
Hi! My name is Rubitah. I’m a Content Writer certified Life Coach, Counselor, Social Work professional and the Founder of Being Rubitah. Over the years through my professional and personal life, I have realized that prayers and love can do wonders to family life once you come to terms with yourself and surrender to God. Do you relate to me? Then you may like what I post here! Read more about me
Subscribe to receive my monthly digest of the latest blog posts, special offers and announcements!
Beautiful words. I’m almost smelling the Bukhoor between the lines because of the pretty way of your description.
You are so talented in writing. I wish you all the best and I’m so delighted to be part of this.
Thank you for commenting Anoud! It is our small conversation that day, that led to the making of this post, so thanks to you!! 🙂