Avicenna

In the 10th century AD, a prolific Persian polymath named Ibn Sina or “Avicenna“ to the Europeans, created a way to extract aromatic compounds from plant material. Today, this system of extraction is known as steam distillation. One of the plants that he first distilled was the infamous Rose x Damascena or Damask Rose. By steam distilling the rose petals, he was able to obtain two by-products, an essential oil and rose water. The concentrated oil was used to make attars and to treat health conditions and the rose water had a wide array of uses from culinary to scenting fountains of palaces and mosques. This led to the Persians exporting rose water along other commodities such as fine textiles and carpets to as far away as India and China in exchange for exotic woods, spices, and porcelain. Olfactory Group: Amber Floral