Sunday - Thursday: from 8 am to 3 pm
Daily from 8 am to 9 pm
An overview of the most famous botanical terms and materials for daily life in the era of prophethood and the places mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and Hadith
The Qur’anic Botanic Garden gives particular attention to Islamic heritage and Arabic traditions hence, the idea of the Botanical Museum was initiated to display modules of plant parts and traditional tools made from plants which may be still used in our daily lives.
The Botanical Museum of the Qur’anic Botanic Garden comprises of several elements which represent a combination between the technology of the current century and the originality of our cultural past. The Museum is full of valuable information, photographs, murals, and Islamic inscriptions that give the visitors the indulgence of being a part of the authentic Arab and Islamic heritage. Here we provide a summary of the tools and displays of the Botanical Museum of the Qur’anic Botanic Garden
Here, the garden will display some of the traditional agricultural tools that were used in earlier times, as well as these that are still used to this day. The exhibits vary from irrigation tools, ploughing, harvesting, weights and many more. The area displays the role of the earliest and contemporary Muslim Botanist in humanizing of the Islamic and non-Islamic civilizations.
This area of Garden’s Museum displays utensils and tools used for foods or beverages, whether they had mentioned in the Holy Qur’an or Hadith for use or prohibition of use. This section also displays some of the traditional utensils that were been previously by the Arab populations in the Arabian Peninsula.
The Garden is defining this area for medicinal and cosmetic plants that are mentioned in the hadith of the Prophet PBUH. Displays show parts of the plants that had been used either from leaves, roots, rhizomes, powder, or fruits. This section also displays some traditional tools that were used in ancient medicine.
The Date Palm tree is frequently mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. It is mentioned approximate 20 times in the Holy Qur’an, therefore is also cited in many occasions in the Prophet’s Hadith (PBUH). Date Palm has an important role in the lives of the Arabs in the Peninsula, and the Qur’anic Botanic garden gives added attention to this plant by collecting of the traditional instruments made from Palm’s leaves, stems and fronds which are still being used by Arabs today.
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Food and Beverage Tools
Is that which is painted with tar. It is called Qayir, and is a plant that is burned when it becomes dry to tar ships with.
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Food and Beverage Tools
Muzaffat is that which is painted with tar, usually jars coated with tar where wine is kept. Soon the wine turns into wine because of the tar it is painted with. The reason for prohibition of keeping wine in these vessels is because it speeds up the intoxication process. So, perhaps someone may drink from it unknowingly.
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Farming and Ploughing Instruments
Najr is carved wood, a cylindrical, hollow tool in which grains and other crops are crushed. Minhaz is a hollow vessel in which things are ground. Hawoon is an Arabicized Persian term. The grains are crushed in it, and it is usually made of metal, stone or wood. Minhas is a hollow vessel in which things ground, just like hawoon and others, all of which are post-harvest tools.
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Food and Beverage Tools
Al Naqeer is originally the trunk of the date palm which is pitted, and from it they used to make a utencil. Al Naqir is originally the trunk of the date palm which is pitted, and from it they used to make a utencil, because it makes wine strong.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) forbade soaking fruit in these vessels, because they speed up the inebriation of the drink. Someone who is not ware of it may drink unknowingly.
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Medicinal and Cosmetic Substances
Aloe is a species that encompasses 180 various kinds, most of which grow in Africa and some in South Asia. Aloe is a desert evergreen perennial. It has large, thick, fleshy leaves with prickly edges. Aloe is prepared by cutting and squeezing the leaves. A yellow, greenish liquid is what results from extracting the sap of the leaves, and in some kinds of aloe the extract remains white and does not turn into the color of aloe. As for aloe perryi.... MORE
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Grains
Barley is an annual grain and one of the oldest crops ever known. It is planted in most countries around the world. Barley seeds are the used part of the plant. They are ground and used for making flour. Barley seeds are of strategic importance. They are among the plants necessary for achieving food security for humans and animals alike.
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Medicinal and Cosmetic Substances
Basham or elderberry is an incense plant species that produces a balm. The Basham is a shrub that grows in the mountainous regions on the slopes and in the valleys coinciding with the rain in Oman, but it loses its leaves. On the stem there is a thin crust that gives a fragrant scent when rubbing it, rubbing its leaves or taking a branch from it. So, the branches of the basham bush are used as a fragrant toothpick that sce.... MORE
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Cucurbitales
The bitter gourd is an evergreen plant growing in deserts of the Arab Peninsula. Bitter gourds are circular fruits resembling watermelon in shape, but very bitter. Bitter gourds have been used in traditional medicine for curing legs and knees pain.
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Grains
Black cumin is an annual grass. Its place of origin is South and South West of Asia, yet it is now one of the most important crops in several places around the world. Black cumin seeds are the effective part of the plant used for the many useful substances they contain like essential and fat oils and vitamins.
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Medicinal and Cosmetic Substances
Camphor originated in Asia. It is grown on a large scale in China and Japan to extract the volatile camphor substance from all parts of the plant. The used part of camphor is a white or transparent wax substance. Camphor available in markets is a solid substance in the form of white crystals or white contiguous square blocks. It is highly volatile even in normal room temperature. Muslims use camphor in shrouding the dead.Camphor – 9882
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Food and Beverage Tools
A qidr (cauldron) is a pot for cooking. Qadir refers to the food cooked in it, and iqtidar the act of cooking in it. Also, qaddar means a butcher or a cook. Cauldrons were made of metals, especially copper and iron, then later of lighter metals like aluminum.
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Fruits
Citron plant is a shrub or small tree. Its fruit is very similar to a lemon, except that it is larger in size and smaller in its kernel. Its peel is very thick. The main component of the citron fruit is its white inner peel which is a thick layer, tightly attached to the kernel of the fruit, as it cannot be separated from the kernel easily. The peels of the citron fruit have plenty of benefits. When placed in clothes, they prevent odours. Also.... MORE
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Food and Beverage Tools
Dabba is the dry pumpkin, and the Prophet (PBUH) forbade placing drinks in pumpkin pots. It was the custom of the Arabs before Islam to preserve wine in hollow vessels made from the pumpkin pots to speed up fermentation and strength of wine. With the advent of Islam, wine was forbidden, and thus putting drinks in pumpin pots was forbade, so that it would not turn into wine.
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Dry Fruits
Figs are of the syconium type. A fig is not really a fruit, but collection of hundreds of flowers inside that shell. This is why it is known as a false fruit. Figs are rich in carbohydrates and some minerals like calcium and phosphorous. They contain good amounts of vitamins A, B and C. Figs can be eaten fresh or dried. Figs are also rich in sugars and fibers that facilitate digestion.
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Fruits
The fruit of the tooth-brush tree is a sweet, edible fruit that ranges from red to black when succulent and when fully ripe.
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Grains
Garlic is known, and it is like onions. Leeks are garlic-like plants that have a pungent odor when raw. Thus, the noble hadiths urged beleivers to avoid eating onions, garlic and leeks before going to communal prayer, so that the worshipers in the proximity would not be harmed.
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Farming and Ploughing Instruments
A sieve is a circular tool that resembles a tuber, with which grains, flour, etc. are sieved. The sieve has a base that is attached to its wooden perimeter, and it is a base with many holes made of animal skin or metal. The uses of sieves differ according to the diameter of the holes in the base. If the holes are wide, the sieve is used for filtering large grains, and if the holes are narrowed, the sieve used for filtering flour and small gra.... MORE
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Cucurbitales
Gourds refer to creeper Cucurbitales that are usually edible. Dry gourds from which the pulp is removed have been used for fishing, swimming and diving purposes, as these dry fruits float on water. Maybe this plant spread in numerous places worldwide due to its ability to float and swim on water.
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Grains
Gum: There are so many species of gum trees. As for what is called gum Arabic, it is gum of acacia. Abu Hanifa said: Gum is something that is released by trees and flow out of the tree. And in the proverb, it is said: ”I uproot you the way the gum is uprooted”, if you leave nothing for him/her, because the gum is uprooted from its tree so that nothing of it is left clinging. The part used: Gum (a waxy substance).... MORE
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In general botanical terminology, Yaqtin describes the group of creeping plants, which belongs to a particular family of gourds (Cucurbitaceae). They may have either rounded or long fruits, such as pumpkin, squash, or watermelon. Yaqtin is also the name of a particular plant, Lagenaria sicerariaor, commonly known as the Bottle Gourd
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Food and Beverage Tools
Hantam is a reddish, green jar. Plural is hantama. It is originally green, close to black. Hantam is said to be jars brought from Egypt. Hantam was greased, green jars in which the wine was carried to the city. Then, the meaning was expanded to include all the pottery. Maing wine in it was not encouraged, because it takes too long the wine to be strong, for being greased. It was said that Aisha, may God be pleased with her, had red-necked ja.... MORE
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Tools Made of Palm Fronds
A rug made of palm wicker (leaves) to sit on. Haseer is made of palm fronds after removing the leaves (the woody part). Haseer is like a rectangular carpet for a person to sleep on. Haseer may be made from more than a plant other than palm trees, such as hay, asal, and other plants
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Farming and Ploughing Instruments
Midaq, Midaqa, Muduq: Midaq (pestle) is what is used for crushing substances; It is a metal, stone or wooden bar, heavy in weight, with a wide head that can be for crushing dry perfumes, grains, food, spices, etc.
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Medicinal and Cosmetic Substances
“The used part: leaves powder
Henna is a cosmetic plant. Powder of its leaves is made into a paste and used for cosmetic purposes, especially with the hands and feet and also for dying the hair. Henna is a well-known plant in many countries worldwide. The amount of effective substances, especially lawsone (the colorful substance), increase in henna the older the plant is. Relatively young plants have a smaller amount of these subst.... MORE
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Grains
A hoe is a sharp steel agricultural tool, with a flat head and a circular hole fixed at the back. It is used for logging, splitting logs for use in fuel, and cutting tree branches to prune them. It has a wooden handle estimated to be half a meter in length. The hoe is known as al-Balta in some Arab countries, such as Egypt and Palestine.
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Tools Made of Palm Fronds
A wide, cylindrical pouch, deep and closed on all sides except for the upper surface which is open. Quffah is made of palm fronds (leaves and wicker), and it has two side loops (ears) that are used for preserving dates, food and flour, and is also used for transporting fresh dates after harvest. Juffair may be called Zabeel in some regions of the Gulf.
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Medicinal and Cosmetic Substances
The used part: the red powdery substance covering its fruits Kamala trees grow in rainforests, especially in south-east of Asia. They also grow in the Arab region, especially in Yemen.
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Treatment and Decorations Tools
Kibsha is the tool whereby food is scooped from the pot. It is made of wood, copper or steel. Deep kibsha was and is still used to heat materials inside it to melt it on people. It is an indispensable tool for those who exercise traditional medicine and medicinal herbs
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Palm Frond Tools
Jareed” is the palm branch whose fronds are removed from it
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Grains
Lentils are among the most popular legumes worldwide. They are of the annual type -whose life cycle covers one year or a little less. Lentil is widely spread as it grows in Europe, Asia and North Africa. Lentils are grown in summer in temperate areas and in winter in subtropical areas. Dicotyledon lentils are very rich in proteins, nutritious fibers and minerals.
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Fruits
The lote-tree growing in the wilderness away from water resources and depending on rain is called Ziziphus nummularia. This type has sharp thorns and smaller fruits that birds and animals feed on. (Image 9851: Ziziphus nummularia)Lote-trees are naturally thorny, unlike lote-trees in Paradise -as foretold in the Quran- that are thornless. The fruit of lote-trees is called Christ’s thorn. The lote-tree growing at the banks of rivers and in.... MORE
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Tools Made of Palm Fronds
A cone-shaped model made of palm fronds, about a meter and a half high, with open sides on the upper and lower sides. This object was called a mabkhara, because it is used to smoke a garment with the smoke of the oud. It is placed under the mabkhara or brazier, then the garment is placed over the smoke from the outside, and then it is saturated with smoke and the smell of oud.
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Tools Made of Palm Fronds
A conical, hat-shaped bowl made of wicker, used for covering food and protect it from insects. Also, the term makaba is given to the bird cage – such as pigeons and others. It has an entrance that is raised to the top to open to allow the birds to exit. Makaba is hung on the walls so that it is not easy to reach by predators.
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Tools Made of Palm Fronds
Mimkhamma and Miqama are two words that refer to the broom. Khumama and Qumama of a house is garbage which is the dirt that is put together. It is said that a heart is Makhmoum, that is, pure from prejudice and envy. In the past, mikhama was made from palm fronds and plant fibers such as Athal, tuna, thumam and camel hair and hills. The making of Makhama has developed and passed through many stages until the electronic vacuum cleaners arrive.... MORE
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Tools Made of Palm Fronds
It is the bed of the newborn child, which is of a rectangular shape, and is made of palm leaves. The “manz” frame is triangular, on which a light cover (curtain) is fixed to protect the baby from flies and mosquitoes. Manzah does not have a base at the bottom, rather the base is in the middle, so the bed is divided into two parts: The upper section is the child’s bed is placed, while the lower section, which is the space betw.... MORE
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Tools Made of Palm Fronds
It is a belt made of linen or palm fiber (it is a thin, brown fabric that is found at the top of the palm when the thick part of the frond is connected to the trunk of the palm). The inner side of the belt is covered with a piece of cloth. The robe is used for climbing the palm tree to inceminate it. Same applies to chopping the seed when harvesting the the fresh dates
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Farming and Ploughing Instruments
It is an old hand mill used to grind grains such as wheat, barley and corn into flour. The mill stone consists of two heavy basalt stones which are round in shape, with a diameter of about 50 centimeters. Each of the two molar stones is connected to a metal or wooden axis in the middle, where the upper stone rotates around it while the lower stone is in a stable position. Grains, such as wheat or barley are poured through a circular h.... MORE
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Farming and Ploughing Instruments
Mihjan: A short stick, with a pointed tip and curved at the other end, used as an agricultural tool to make small pits to grow grains such as wheat, barley, and corn. It is also used for tilting the soil around the plant to aerate it. The Mihjan of the bird: Means its beak is crooked.
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Medicinal and Cosmetic Substances
Miswak or siwak are twigs made of the tooth-brush tree, an evergreen desert shrub. They are used to cleanse the teeth and mouth. Tooth-brush trees are widespread in the Arab Peninsula. Miswak can be also made of other trees like olive or Arabian balsam.The used part: twigs
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Farming and Ploughing Instruments
These are scales used for mgrains, liquids and the like. The people of Hijaz in the past estimated it to be four Amdad (plural of mud). That is the equivalent of a thousand, one hundred and twenty dirhams, while the people of Iraq in the past estimated it at eight pounds. The mud and sa’a were made of wood or metal, such as copper and others.
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Grains
Mustard is an annual grass planted in most countries over the world, especially the Mediterranean basin countries. Seeds are the effective part of the plant used for the natural oils and vitamins they contain. Mustard seeds are of the same circular shape, so they have almost the same weight and size.
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Fats
The olive tree is one of the oldest trees humans ever knew. It is a blessed tree as Allah says in the Glorious Quran. It can live for hundreds of years and can grow up to 5-12 meters long. It is a generous tree; olives become immediately edible when they ripen. From olives we extract oil, and wood of the olive tree is good for making brushes and sticks. Olive trees have a dense shade, and they symbolize peace universally.
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Farming and Ploughing Instruments
The pail is a large, conical bucket made of animal skins, such as oxen. It is used for picing up water from deep wells to irrigate gardens and trees. The pail is connected by a thick rope – pulled by a person or by an animal that rotates on a large circular pulley made of wood called the Mahala. Gharab is the water that falls between the well and the basin.
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Food Utensils
A sahfah is a platter where food is gathered and served. The book where the Quran is printed is called mushaf (a derivative of the same root) as it gathers what is written between the two covers. In the past, sahfah was made of wood then developed and started to be made of metal and porcelain.
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Food Utensils
A sahfah is a platter where food is gathered and served. The book where the Quran is printed is called mushaf (a derivative of the same root) as it gathers what is written between the two covers. In the past, sahfah was made of wood then developed and started to be made of metal and porcelain. As for a qas’ah, it is a tureen with food around which a large group of people gather to eat. It is enough for ten men. The qas’ah is also a.... MORE
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Tools Made of Palm Fronds
A rectangular structure, narrow, locked at the bottom, with a sliding door on top. The cage has a square base. It is made of palm tree leaves. Its width does not exceed 15 cm, and its height is about 50 cm. It is used for storing and preserving fresh dates. It is well ventilated, and is hung or placed on a shelf in the house
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Food and Beverage Tools
As for Qas’a, it is a large dish on which a group of people gather, and it can satisfy ten people. Qas’a is a container in which the dough is prepared.
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Treatment and Decorations Tools
It is a rectangular container of glass or metal where water, perfume, or the like is kept. Some say it is the date-fruit container. It is also said that qawareer refers to fragile glass. The word is also used to refer to women, being as fragile.
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Farming and Ploughing Instruments
These are scales used for mgrains, liquids and the like. The people of Hijaz in the past estimated it to be four Amdad (plural of mud). That is the equivalent of a thousand, one hundred and twenty dirhams, while the people of Iraq in the past estimated it at eight pounds. The mud and sa’a were made of wood or metal, such as copper and others.
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Medicinal and Cosmetic Substances
Saffron is known for its dark red flower stems, which are among the most expensive spices in the world, and are used in food, beverages and drinks. Saffron also contains vitamins, a group of essential oils and chemicals that make it one of the most popular medicinal plants. Saffron has ground onions like the onion plant, but they are not used like how the strings of the saffron plant are used. The part used: Stigma .... MORE
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Tools Made of Palm Fronds
It is a piece of round mats on which plates of food are placed and eaten on it. Sarrood is made of wicker (leaves) of palm trees, and it is mainly used as tablecloths or may be used as colored circular pieces to decorate the facades and walls of houses.
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Farming and Ploughing Instruments
An agricultural tool that is used for harvesting barley, rice, lentils, sesame and all grass crops. A sickle is made of steel or forged iron. It is curved like a question mark, its inner edge is sharp with teeth (serrated) to cut plants out, while the outer edge is broad. The sickle has a short iron leg that does not exceed a few centimeters. It is fixed within a cylindrical handle of wood. It enables farmers to hold the scythe to cut the cro.... MORE
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Farming and Ploughing Instruments
It is a farming tool used to even and plough the land. It consists of an iron head broad from the front with a wooden handle at the back. Spades are among the oldest farming tools and are still used until now. The shapes of spades differ based on the purposes they are used for. Spades with broad heads are used in evening the land, while spiral heads are used for ploughing and cutting wood and looks like an axe.
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Cucurbitales
The Arabic for sweet basil is raihan, which refers to any fragrant plant. The word also denotes mercy, sustenance and comfort.The used part: leaves and seeds
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Medicinal and Cosmetic Substances
True senna is a medicinal plant that Arabs have known of old. It causes diarrhea, and dry leaves and pods are used for this purpose. The Arabic name of the plant may differ from one country to another.The used part: dry fruits and leaves
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Grains
Wheat is an annual grass seed. It is a winter crop that originated in the Mediterranean basin countries. Wheat seeds are extracted from ears then ground to make flour used for baking. Wheat flour is an essential nutrient in the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program. It is indispensable and irreplaceable, as wheat seeds constitute a primary source of vitamins, minerals and fibers, and carbohydrates and protein are the most important nutr.... MORE
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Medicinal and Cosmetic Substances
Woad is a cosmetic plant. It resembles henna and is used with it on a wide scale. Powder of its leaves is made into a paste and used for cosmetic purposes, especially with the hands and feet and also for dying the hair. Woad naturally grown is Yemen valleys and is also widespread in tropical areas in Asia and Africa.
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