The Attar Archives – Volume II | By Sunah Oils
Before perfumes were bottled in glass...
Before names like Chanel, Dior, or Tom Ford were ever whispered...
There was a flower.
It grew in the mountains, bloomed with the sunrise, and faded by noon.
It took tens of thousands of petals to make a single vial of oil.
It became a symbol of royalty, love, and mystery.
That flower is rose — and its scent has travelled across centuries, continents, and cultures to arrive in the palm of your hand.
This is not just the story of a fragrance.
This is the story of how rose became the queen of perfumery.
🏺 Chapter 1: The Persian Beginning
The story begins in ancient Persia, around 500 CE — what we now call Iran.
Here, among the valleys and dry air, grew the Damask rose (Rosa damascena) — the very same species used in most rose oils today. Its petals were smaller, its scent sharper and deeper than the garden roses we know now.
Persian nobility didn’t just admire roses — they studied them, grew vast gardens known as "gulistans", and used them in baths, ceremonies, and cosmetics.
Then came a man who would change perfume forever.
🧪 Chapter 2: Avicenna and the Birth of Rose Oil
In the 10th century, a Persian doctor named Avicenna (Ibn Sina) revolutionised the world of scent. Known for his work in medicine and science, Avicenna is said to have created the first method of steam distillation — using it to extract rose oil from petals.
This wasn’t just a beauty trick. Rose oil was believed to calm the mind, help with heart conditions, and even reduce inflammation. It was used in tonics, ointments, and scent rituals across Persia.
This invention — distillation — became the foundation of how all essential oils are made today.
🌍 Chapter 3: From Persia to the World
Over the centuries, the method of making rose oil spread beyond Persia:
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The Ottoman Empire made it central to Turkish and Bulgarian culture. The Kazanlak Valley in Bulgaria became one of the world's largest producers of rose oil — a title it still holds today.
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In India, rose distillation was refined during the Mughal Empire, with massive rose water factories and luxury rose-based attars.
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In Europe, royals and perfumers adopted rose oil in their beauty routines. French queens bathed in it. Italian noblewomen used it to scent their gloves.
By the 17th century, rose oil was one of the most expensive and sought-after materials in all of perfumery.
🌸 Chapter 4: The Cost of Liquid Gold
Let’s break it down:
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To make just 1kg of pure rose oil, you need around 3 to 5 tonnes of rose petals.
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That's over 1.5 million flowers — picked by hand at dawn when their oil content is highest.
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The petals must be processed within 24 hours, or they lose their scent.
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Depending on the region, this oil can cost £5,000–£10,000 per kilogram — making it one of the most expensive oils in the world.
This is why true rose oil isn’t cheap. It’s not mass-produced. It’s crafted — with precision, patience, and purpose.
👃 Chapter 5: What Rose Really Smells Like
Real rose oil smells nothing like synthetic rose found in body sprays or candles. It’s multi-layered and ever-changing:
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Top notes: Bright, lemony, and green
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Heart: Sweet, floral, slightly fruity
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Base: Warm, woody, and honey-like
Each drop contains over 300 natural scent compounds. That’s why rose oil behaves differently on every skin type — it blends with your natural scent, creating something truly personal.
💎 Chapter 6: Rose in the Modern World
Even today, rose continues to reign.
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Rihanna is rumoured to wear Kilian Love Don’t Be Shy, which features rose at its heart.
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David Beckham and other male celebrities have embraced rose-based colognes, breaking gender stereotypes.
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Kylie Jenner launched entire rose-infused skincare lines.
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Even brands like Le Labo, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, and Byredo now make rose-based scents that are minimalist, gender-neutral, and wildly successful.
Rose is no longer “for women” — it’s for anyone who understands timeless beauty.
🧴 Chapter 7: Where Sunah Oils Comes In
At Sunah Oils, we source the finest rose oils. We don’t cut corners — we craft.
Each of our rose-based blends tells a different story:
Whether you want something soft and subtle or dark and dramatic — we’ve bottled it.
✨ Chapter 8: The Legacy of Rose
To wear rose is to wear history.
It’s not just a scent. It’s the story of an empire. Of science. Of beauty.
It’s a poem turned into liquid. A flower pressed into time.
When you wear rose oil, you’re not just smelling good —
You’re wearing a crown no one can see.