Palestinian Harvest Season Prior to the Theft of 1948 🫒

 

Prior to 1948, the harvest season in Palestine, particularly the olive harvest known as mawsim al-zaytoun, was a deeply ingrained and joyful cultural cornerstone, far more than just an agricultural event. It was a time when entire families and communities, from elders to toddlers, would gather in the groves for days or weeks of collective labor and celebration. Preparations began with the first September rains, believed to bring barakeh (blessings) for the year ahead. The work involved picking olives by hand or using small rakes and spreading tarpaulins beneath the ancient trees, many of which had been planted by ancestors generations before. The atmosphere was one of shared purpose, filled with conversation, laughter, singing, and storytelling. Meals, such as musakhan (sumac-spiced chicken) and mujaddara, would be prepared and shared in the shade of the trees, often accompanied by fresh bread and mint tea  🍵🫖

The celebration extended beyond the fields. After the harvest, the crops were taken to local olive presses, which operated around the clock, filling the air with the pungent aroma of fresh oil. The first taste of the new, gleaming green oil was a moment of great pride and satisfaction. Beyond olives, other important crops like wheat and barley were also harvested with community feasts, traditional dabke dances, music, and food sharing, reinforcing strong social bonds and a profound connection to the land. This annual cycle of planting and harvesting was central to the self-reliant subsistence economy of most rural Palestinian communities, symbolizing a deep, generational link to their identity and heritage that was celebrated with communal joy and unity    🌿🍈 

Persian Miniature Art, "Gul-o-Morgh" (Flower and Bird) 🌺 🦜

 

Miniatue Persian art, particularly the Gul-o-Morgh (flower and bird) tradition, is a refined expression of harmony, grace, and poetic symbolism. These compositions typically feature delicate birds nestled among intricate blossoms, rendered with smooth layers of watercolor or acrylic that create a luminous, feather-light quality. The subjects are not simply decorative; there is also a subtle romantic allusion.  In Persian literature, the bird often symbolizes the lover, while the flower represents the beloved. Their interaction on the canvas evokes themes of serenity and companionship, and the delicate balance between emotions and the challenges of daily life.

Artists commonly employ ornate geometric or arabesque patterned borders to frame these paintings and elevate the miniature’s elegance. These borders—carefully constructed with stars, interlacing delicate plants, or tesselated motifs — reflect the precision of Persian artistic heritage.  The soft central image and the border together, form a unified artwork with an expansive concept and artistic skill.

Persian paintings such as gul-o-morgh are not small images yet called miniature.  One may wonder why?  The term is derived from the oldest style of Persian painting called negargari which translates to "small painting" initially used as illustrations with book manuscripts.  These paintings were figurative, not realistic, somewhat resembling the illustrations of Arabian Nights or 1001 Nights.  Thus, the name "miniature" is a historical legacy, and though the intricate Persian gul-o-morgh style of painting is not small, it traditionally gets the name “miniature.”     🍃

My above ai artwork is Persian miniature style, bright watercolor 16th century Islamic Persia, Safavid era.  It shows three aristocratic young women dancing in a garden and one of them playing the barbud (Persian guitar).  Persian miniature painting was most popular and reached its golden age during the Timurid (15^th century) and Safavid (16^th century) periods of Islamic Persia primarily through the establishment of royal workshops (kitabkhana) that attracted the most skilled artists of the time.  While traditional Persian miniature painting continued to exist, it experienced a significant decline in popularity during the Qajjar era late 1700s and the Pahlavi era early 1900s.  They encouraged large scale oil paintings with the strong influence of European artistic styles and techniques  🌷🎵

10th century Arabian Marketplace (Sooq), Medinah 🧅🌶️

 

Start of a working morning.  Cloth merchant sits at a rustic wooden table, his hand deftly folding patterned textiles.  The spice merchant talks to a customer, his products – purple onions, red chillies and the fresh, aromatic herbs – neatly placed in different baskets. The fruit seller sits on a mat, musing, with fresh apples and oranges methodically displayed in larger baskets  🍎🍊  

The rich painterly textures, warm atmospheric lighting, and jewel-toned clothing create a living portrait of commerce and community. Every woven basket, fabric fold, and fruit detail tells a story of trade and tradition. This is not just a market - it's a window into a thriving civilization, where every transaction is a thread in the tapestry of history. The artwork's beauty, authenticity, and the rich storytelling embedded in each element, invites viewers to appreciate both the visual splendor and the cultural narrative.

A Bird Bath in Mid Summer 🐦

 

Tranquil corner of a garden with a bird bath, gracefully encircled by vibrant flowers and a lemon tree in full bloom.  The lush colors of the blossoms provide a lively frame, while two sparrows and a humming bird gather playfully at the water's edge, their delicate presence bringing the composition to life as the birds find respite amidst a tapestry of color and fragrance 🥀  

Appreciate the gentle rhythms of beautiful summer — Alhumdulilah. 

The First Fajr of Ramadan - experience it visually 🤍

 

Serene 8^th century desert night at the start of the blessed month of Ramadan – The crescent moon casts a silvery glow over the restful night, an hour prior to Fajr.  Mud houses softly illuminated by lanterns from within, cluster under the starlit sky radiating warmth in an idyllic setting.  In the foreground, a traditional brass tray holds a glass of milk, a brass teapot and a handful of dates, inviting a sense of hospitality and quiet reflection.  This evocative composition weaves together our Islamic Faith, history, culture and the peaceful allure of night under the vast desert sky 🌙

The following is a watercolor version for kids.

Qasr-e-Qusantinah, Northern Algeria

My ai artwork, a reproduction of F.A. Bridgman's painting, Qasr-e-Qusantinah in Northern Algeria 80 km from the Mediterranean coast.  Combination of simplicity and cultural beauty.

Qasr-e-Qusantinah was built in 1825 displaying Ottoman architecture and was the residence of the Bey (governor) of Qusantinah.  Area estimated 600 square meters, consists of at least four apartment units within the building, additionally multicolor marble lining beneath the balustrade, garden and courtyard.  Doors and windows skillfully carved with cedar wood, arched entrances, latticed front window and stone steps.  The scene maintains the mildly warm afternoon, golden afternoon lighting and rich atmospheric quality of 19^th century Ottoman style capturing the essence of northern Algerian architecture and daily life of the era  🍊🍋

The Last Ruler of Al-Andalusia (Islamic Spain)

 🌼 Portrait of Abu Abdallah Muhammad XII, last Muslim ruler of Andalusia (Islamic Spain).

He was the last Naṣrid emir of Granada until 1492, marking the end of Muslim rule in Spain. The Spanish often referred to him as "Boabdil" which was not his name, but a Spanish corruption of the Arabic name Abu Abdallah.

To learn a little more about Abu Abdallah Muhammad, take a peek at some concise history at  Muslim Villa.