EMIRI SCHOOL IN AL IHSAA IS AN EXAMPLE OF STUNNING ARCHITECTURE
TRADING ROOTS With a cultural mix and vastly rich history, Saudi life has been shaped and influenced
by many things. Among these are the country’s Islamic heritage, its Bedouin traditions and historical role as an ancient trade centre on the route between Africa and Asia
For centuries Saudi Arabia was at the centre of ancient trade routes, transporting pre- dominantly spice and silk from North Africa on one side of the country and on to Asia on the other. This far-reaching trade network, that also extended to South Asia, the Mediter- ranean and to Egypt, left the Arabian people enriched by many different civilisations. The cultural mix was further en- hanced with the introduction of Islam in the 7th century AD, which rapidly spread across the Atlantic Ocean and east to India and China. It was a period of great learning in religion, culture, science, philosophy and the arts and it was known as the Islamic ÔGolden AgeÕ. To this day, millions of Islamic pilgrims all over the world make the journey to Saudi Arabia to the most religious of Islamic sites,
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the KaÕaba in the Grand Mosque in Makkah (Mecca). These pilgrims continue to enrich the cultural mix in the Kingdom as they travel. The late King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman formed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 and his sons have since dedicated themselves to preserving Arab traditions and culture. One of the most upheld traditions of the Saudi people is the extension of hospitality, which every Saudi offers to strangers, friends and family. The simplest expression of hospitality is coffee and its preparation is a cultural tradition. The Saudi coffee contains carda- mom and sometimes other spices like saf- fron to give it a golden colour and a sweet taste. It is often served in small cups along with dates and sweets. Another gesture of hospitality is the burning of incense to welcome guests.
OASIS IN AL IHSSA
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