Ask Ali: Digging deep into Emirati garden designs

Seeing more greenery surrounding a home as well as appreciating God’s gift of having trees that are fruitful all represent khair, which means a good act credited by God to the person who initiated it.

Dear Ali: I’m a landscape architect and I’m trying to understand two things about UAE garden designs, especially in Arab and Emirati families. Why do they have half-buried clay pots by the driveway in the garden? What does that symbolise? Also, on villa boundary walls, there’s often a continuous string of lights. I heard that this is related to keeping out desert spirits, or djinn. Is there any cultural basis to this? SB, Abu Dhabi

Dear SB: Undoubtedly our traditions and beliefs influence our way of living, especially in regards to houses. That’s why you will always see that the decoration of Emirati houses and gardens differs from others. The concepts behind Emirati gardens vary from one family to another. Depending on the background of the family, you will find certain elements represent their interests.

Some pay gardeners and landscape designers to make their outdoor spaces as professional and beautiful as possible; some do everything themselves.

You’ll notice that some houses are decorated with certain types of trees, such as palm, ghaf, sidr, roseberry, mango or lemon, all of which grow in the UAE. This gives families comfort, seeing more greenery surrounding their homes, as well as appreciating God’s gift of having trees that are fruitful; all represent khair, which means a good act credited by God to the person who initiated it, and so when they care for their own trees it’s seen as khair, which will bring them good in return.

Some families, you’ll notice, install a medium-sized fountain. Water is appreciated in almost all cultures in the world, so the idea of having a waterfall or fountain that spills into a small pool or around the garden represents khair as well. Also, it brings the families the joy of seeing birds fly to the fountain to drink water, another khair act that’s credited by God to the person who initiates that.

Hence, you see some public “water coolers” installed at the corner of some homes in the neighbourhood that offer complimentary water. These are not put there by the municipality, but by the family who lives in that house. Many labourers use them, along with children playing football in the neighbourhood. Again, this is considered khair.

You’ll also find some homes have jalboot – a traditional big wooden boat. Some use these for fishing or sport; others simply decorate their houses with them. I know of a house on Dalma Island that installed the largest jalboot you can imagine.

A light in the house means that it’s not empty and that guests are welcome. Outdoor lights are simply an added decoration, but if you notice Christmas-type lighting that covers the whole house, this indicates a happy time for the family, as it means somebody is getting married. The flashing lights you have witnessed are nothing but a celebration indicator.

So you see, we try to make our houses special, either by using lighting, various items of decor or in some other way.

There’s no belief in the feng shui concept in Arab and Islamic culture; it’s not something we believe in when it comes to architecture. But definitely our beliefs play an important role in our lives.

I hope this explanation adds value to your appreciation of the architecture and homes of the UAE.

Ali Al Saloom is a cultural adviser and public speaker from the UAE. Follow @AskAli on Twitter, and visit www.ask-ali.com to ask him a question