Abdel-Razzaq Benshabane .. The perfume lover makes the red city another international name for it

Abdelghani Ballout - Marrakesh

The scents of bitter orange, violet, amber, and jasmine emanating from the big garden greet you as you enter the house of Moroccan academic Abdel Razzaq Benschban on the palm gorge on the outskirts of Marrakech, dubbed the Red City.

As you go along a long, open corridor, your senses will attract in the evening of this March the beauty of nature, with its magic, bizarre sounds and strong smells.

His scientific laboratory arrives, pondering the depth of his silence, as he mixes extracts of distilled essential oils to prepare a new fragrance, as someone who composes the seven notes to create a piece of music.

"The secret to success is to pay attention to things that may not be picked up by the rich signals of others," says "Island Lover" of Al Jazeera Net, as he turns his beautiful memories into the world of aromatic plants.

A global name
The researcher, Binshaaban, succeeded in giving the local natural perfumes a global name, which has produced more than 30 fragrances to date, and the fragrance "Evening of Marrakesh" was chosen as part of the Ozmotic Encyclopedia in the Palace of Versailles in Paris within 1500 names spanning six centuries.

This gardener depends on his craft on the richness of the city of Marrakesh in the field of nature and aromatic gardens, usually distillation of roses and flowers to make perfumes, in addition to his academic composition in plant biology.

His contact with well-known figures in the world of perfumes, his retreat in his profession for many years, his wandering in nature, and converting his theories into an application on the ground, all of which made him a "perfumer" with the testimony of many, and also an author of books in a field where academic authorship is scarce.

memory
Benchban recalls that he used to spend all school holidays in the Moroccan Badia at his grandfather and uncles, to approach nature and its fragrant scents in all its varieties, as he was a child and was fond of the wonderful scents.

He used to visit the Attarin market and the old Al-Rahba market for medicinal herbs and spices in the old city in order to buy the needs of his mother, who excelled in adapting plants to install cosmetics, ornamentation or medication, which contributed to the formation of his indelible aromatic memory.

"All the atmosphere that I lived in while I was young contributed to my character, and it helped me put my fingerprint carefully on my designer perfume," he said, speaking of his childhood with a nostalgic tone.

academic
He did not choose his academic course by chance, and his childish fondness turned into a scientific passion that unleashed endless ambition.

"When I was attending the state doctorate, I chose to move from classical biology to ethnobotany to research more in human relationships with plants," said Benchban.

Not only did his country abound in nature, but curiosity led him to countries from all continents, to see with his own eyes, he says, how tea is grown in China, or how an indigenous plant is formed in Vietnam, or a wild flower grows in Chile, all in its natural environment And not in the gardens set up, and linked this to the traditions and customs of the people of the country and their comparison.

heartbreak
"I feel unfair, because the history books speak as if perfumery began in the 16th century AD," he said, with Sha'banan speaking in a relaxed tone.

He browses his new book, “The Book of Fragrance,” in which he combines the science of perfumery with philosophy and his view of existence, man and nature, before adding with pride and pride "scientific research based on historical documents and the science of archeology led me to know that the relationship of human beings to perfumes is an eternal relationship, which contributed to the development of making them civilizations Ancient and excelled in Arab and Islamic civilization. "

That feeling that was associated with Benchban, whenever he moved to Europe and presented himself as a "Moroccan perfumer", made him take up the challenge to create Moroccan perfumes from local plants bringing him to the world.

recognition
Benchban admits that conditions created and opportunities available to him did not allow others to succeed in his path, including his relationship with celebrities in the world of perfumes such as Yves Saint Laurent.

His love for the city of Marrakesh renews his desire every day to stay in it with all the reassurance and peace of mind it gives to him and the art of living.

"Morocco is a country rich in oils and fragrances," he added, smelling the flower of bitter orange, adding, speaking with apparent enthusiasm, "International recognition can only come as a matter of seriousness and creativity in working locally."

After several books, including a book about the gardens of Marrakesh and the book of perfume, and his contribution to artistic photographs in a joint book with Alain Goryos, Ben Shaaban re-invades the world of creativity through a new historical novel.

It is with great affection that Benchban keeps disclosing its contents, and he can only say that it restores the consideration of a character who has gone through the book of eternal happiness, which has been honored and erased from popular memory.

When you bid farewell to the house / grove, all your senses are filled with the love of perfumes, look again at the magic of the place as if it is a big open book.