Scent of tradition lingers in Lebanon's village of roses - in pictures

Looking over Bekaa Valley, villagers on pink-dotted terraces gather Damask roses to use in essential oils, sweets and cosmetics

A villager harvests Damascena (Damask) roses that are used for essential oils, sweets and cosmetics, in the village of Qsarnaba on May 11, 2023. The oil derived from the famed Damask rose --- named after the ancient city of Damascus located just across the mountain range separating Lebanon and Syria -- is a staple of perfumers. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)

The oil derived from the famed Damask rose - named after the ancient city of Damascus on the other side of the mountain range separating Lebanon and Syria - is a staple of perfumers

The flowers are believed to have infection-fighting and relaxant properties, while rose water is drunk across the Middle East, used in sweets such as Turkish delight and employed to scent mosques

After a morning collecting roses, the workers in Qsarnaba drop their fragrant bundles at a warehouse in the village

Zahraa Sayed Ahmed - whose first name means 'flower' - buys the raw materials to produce her rose water, syrup, tea and jam

For four years she has processed the petals at her home, using a traditional metal still that originally belonged to her grandfather

A kilogram of petals makes half a litre of rose water

Zahraa says every home in the village has its own still. 'The production of rose water is a part of our heritage,' she says

The rose season lasts for a busy few weeks in Qsarnaba

Hassan Al Dirani, 25, has been picking the flowers alongside his mother, Leila, because they could not afford to employ extra workers amid low production

The harvest has lost about 80 percent of its value because of Lebanon's economic crisis, says local official Daher Al Dirani

'But the roses help people put food on the table,' he adds

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