Bulgarian Ateek

Bulgarian Ateek: Pre-1990 Damask / Ispahan / Castile Rose Otto - Rare - Vintage - Rising Phoenix Perfumery

Distilled: Pre-1990 - most likely in Copper

Region: Valley of the Roses, Bulgaria

Species: Damask / Rosa Damascena

Everyone loves a good Rose... few get to smell an EXCEPTIONAL Rose.

Let alone a VINTAGE Rose!

A little Damask HISTORY...

Rosa × damascena (Latin for damascene rose), is more commonly known as the Damask Rose. Bulgarian Roses have also been known as Arab Rose, Ispahan Rose, and Castile Rose. They are a Rose hybrid, derived from Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata. (Speaking of Moschata Roses, or Musk Rose - you should check out my Musk Rose Attar, which uses a rare Gallica Rose to capture the essence of a Moschata Rose)

DNA analysis has shown that a third species, Rosa fedtschenkoana, has made some genetic contributions to the Damask rose. The Hybrid's probable origin was in Central Asia.

The French Crusader Robert de Brie, who took part in the Siege of Damascus in 1148 at the second crusade, is sometimes credited for bringing the Damask rose from Syria to Europe. The name of the rose refers to the city of Damascus in Syria, known for its steel (Damask steel), fabrics (Damask) and roses.

Other accounts state that the ancient Romans brought it to their colonies in England, and a third account is that the physician of King Henry VIII, named as Thomas Linacre, gifted him one circa 1540. Although this latter claim is of dubious veracity as Linacre died in 1524, 16 years before the introduction of the rose to the royal garden took place.

It is possible that Damask Roses made the trek in to Europe at multiple different times to multiple locations.

There is a history of fragrance production in Kabul Province of Afghanistan from the Damask rose. An attempt has been made to restore this industry as an alternative for farmers who produce... another illicit flowering plant there that people have smoked for centuries.

The flower, known in Hawaiian as Lokelani, is the official flower of the Island of Maui.

In 1986, President Reagan signed the Rose in as the US's National Flower with these words,

"More often than any other flower, we hold the rose dear as the symbol of life and love and devotion, of beauty and eternity… We see proofs of this everywhere. The study of fossils reveals that the rose has existed in America for age upon age. We have always cultivated roses in our gardens. Our first President, George Washington, bred roses, and a variety he named after his mother is still grown today. The White House itself boasts a beautiful Rose Garden. We grow roses in all our fifty States. We find roses throughout our art, music and literature. We decorate our celebrations and parades with roses. Most of all, we present roses to those we love, and we lavish them on our altars, our civil shrines, and the final resting places of our honored dead. (Proclamation 5574) "

Nirad Chaudhuri, the Bengali writer, recalls that Hindus in East Bengal did not cultivate it because it was "looked upon as an Islamic flower". Which is interesting, as it is Arab traders that have spread the Damask Rose across Central Asia and into Europe. I guess the Damask Rose truly could be called the Arab Rose!

SCENT

It's going to sound funny saying this - but Bulgarian Ateek smells more T'aifi than an actual T'aif Rose. It is THE most glorious citrusy Rose specimen you'll probably ever put your nose on!

So - a moment on citrusy Roses and their demographic industry use...

In the Western / European Market - citrusy Roses are not the preference. Juicy, Jammy Rose is usually what's associated with Western Roses, and the center of that modern industry relies heavily upon a Bulgarian Rose. Same goes for a Gallica, which once had a more prolific distribution, but is usually only grown today out in Moldova. Even the Indian Market tends to grow Damask or Edwardian (English) Roses, as they heavily supply Western companies.

The Arab Market, on the other hand, highly regards a Rose with a pronounced citrus note. Many of the Central Asian and Gulf Roses are usually on a Citrusy spectrum. Most famously the T'aif Rose, which commands the top price for Roses from the region. The best quality being termed a "Bridal Rose".

This Damask Ateek I find has a very strong leaning towards the Gulf profile - piercingly citrusy like the best quality, "Frozen" T'aifi Bridal Rose Oil - with a little of that Western Jamminess undergirding the experience. It's likely this strong citrusy profile that landed this batch into the hands of the man who taught the Ajmal family their perfumery skills.

Even just uncapping the bottle will send a shiver down your spine.

This batch of Bulgarian Ateek Otto I acquired from the archives of the grandchildren of the man who taught perfumery to the Ajmal family.

As with many of the oils in their possession, they are often older than their date of acquisition, and this bottle was acquired no later than 1990. So although we don’t know the exact age - we know it predates the 90’s.

This oil was produced and bottled by a company that no longer exists, and would have been produced in the Valley of the Roses. Exactly which town, I'm unsure. I managed to acquire an unopened bottle of the oil, and filmed its opening. That video can be found here:

https://youtu.be/kah3yAJTk2I?si=Bf-_E8w8YjW2XGn8

If you like T'aif Rose, I have a feeling you will LOVE Bulgarian Ateek. I seriously considered naming it "BTT", for "Better than T'aif"... it's seriously THAT good.

If you like rare or vintage Roses, this is a rare one that caught my attention, with the added benefit of being so deliciously citrusy. It deserves a seat on the shelf of every serious collector!

Enjoy!

PS - for a great read on the history of the origin of Roses, check this out:

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2264/a-brief-history-of-the-rose/