Al-Shehhi attracts visitors with a charming smile and tales from a long history
"Al-Daoun" is the authenticity of the Emirati heritage in the heart of the "Dubai Expo"
"Zafanat al-Da'un had a positive role in strengthening social relations and increasing cohesion between the people."
Emirates today
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The sixty citizen, Muhammad Ahmed Suhail al-Shehhi, attracted the visitors of the “Sameem” pavilion, as he told them in a distinctive manner and with a smile that captivated the hearts, the story of “Al-Da’oun”, the profession that he has mastered for more than 30 years, and is used to equip rooms, their corners, walls and ceilings, all of which are produced from fronds Palm.
Al-Shehhi told "Emirates Today" that "what we have reached today in terms of modernity and development, is based on years of struggle and fatigue."
He explained that the craft of "da'un" means making the house of palm trees, stacked in the manner of arbor, and the fronds are the full branches of the palm tree, which are brought to make a wall in the form of a scroll, when they open to form part of a wall or ceiling.
He said: "Despite the current modernity, urban development and luxury, the people of the Emirati community are still satiating their nostalgia for the past by using invitations to set up a summer arbor, winter tent or canopy."
Al-Shehhi added that there are specific steps to establish a “dawn”, especially if it is intended to roof the house, so it is mixed with mud, wheat and barley residues to certain degrees, to prevent water from seeping to the bottom, even if it lasts 50 years, despite it being free of iron and concrete.
He explained that "the palm was the secret of the life of the Emirati citizen in the past, so he made from his fronds ropes and supplications, as well as the trunks from which houses are built, in addition to food, coffee and honey flavorings, and other products that are indispensable to the Emirati home."
Al-Shehhi asserts that "many citizens still cling to the use of invitations, even in their luxury homes and villas, for their pride in their past and cultural heritage."
He said: “In the past, we used the du’un as a roof for the arbor, and a manama, i.e. a bed high from the ground, and a flat surface to spread and dry dates on. Nowadays, it is used on the farms to build sheds for livestock, and to make sea tents, or those that are set up next to villas and homes, as councils in which young people gather, and as a change to the prevailing style in modern homes, we have made some improvements to them, such as placing glass windows, and providing them with air conditioners for cooling. And aluminum doors, instead of wooden, combining the originality of the past and the luxury of the present, in an image that confirms that the heritage of the ancestors imposes itself on the younger generations.
And he continues, “Men used to take on the task of twisting and weaving the palm fiber, a process that requires, above all, to loosen that fibrous tissue, and turn it into something like hair. They have left, but some of them were able to transfer the craft to their children, and they taught some of the communities that work in the farms, and today they help them with some work, such as collecting fronds and transferring invitations.”
He continues: "Zafanat al-Da'un had a positive role in strengthening social relations and increasing the bonds of interdependence and cooperation between the people, as everyone was participating in the work and helping to fulfill the supplications of others, or participating in preparing and selling them, and then sharing the financial return behind them."
Al-Shehhi continues, "It was my profession from a young age, and I inherited it from my fathers, when we had palm trees that we use in this industry, but with a beautiful laugh, the situation is different now, as Asian workers have taken control of the craft, after we taught them it."
He points out that he comes daily to the Expo, from four to ten in the evening, to participate in the Heart of the Emirates pavilion, which showcases the heritage of our country, stressing his happiness with the visitors' interest in the pavilion's rich content, collectibles and culture, and he is proud of the interest of Emirati youth, and their eagerness to listen to him, and get acquainted with their rich heritage.
He concludes by saying: "We lived through beautiful days, despite their difficulties, but the present is more beautiful, thanks to our leadership, which allowed our children to obtain the best scientific disciplines, and built roads and civilization, to reach this great level in (Expo Dubai)."