Traditional goat hair tents are woven by Saudi women.



RIYADH: As winter draws near, long-standing custom in the center 

of Saudi Arabia's Northern Borders region 

is flourishing.

Traditional goat-hair tents, called "buyut 

al-sha'ar" in the local dialect, 

are expertly crafted by elderly women here and serve as live example 

of Saudi hospitality. The traditional craft depends on goat and 

sheep hair, which is 

supplied by the region's plentiful livestock,

 which includes more than million

 heads of cattle and camels, according to 

report by the Saudi Press Agency. The craftsmen make tents of various sizes and colors using ancient

 tools like the "mitraq" (hammer) and "awtar" 

(strings). "A single tent can take anything from three 

days to week to finish, 

depending on the craftswoman's skill," Umm 

Nada said in an interview with SPA.
There is great deal of cultural significance to

 the tent-making process.

The women chant traditional poems while they labor. The final tents can sell for between SR1,600 

($427) and SR6,000 ($1,600),

depending on their size and ornamental 

features. Families in the area are using these historic

 tents for picnics and outings 

in the outdoors, and their popularity is growing again. Because of the temperate environment in the

 north, outdoor enthusiasts 

have found these tents very appealing.

Source arabnews.com

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