Damask Rose
Rosa damascena
گل محمدی · Gol-e Mohammadi
The Persian rose of Kashan — distilled into rosewater for a thousand kitchens.
Rosaceae
- Scientific name
- Rosa damascena Mill.
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Common names
- Damask rose, Persian rose
- Persian name
- گل محمدی (Gol-e Mohammadi)
- Parts used
- Fresh petals, distilled for rosewater and essential oil (rose otto)
- Phytochemical classes
- Monoterpene alcohols (citronellol, geraniol, nerol) — major essential-oil constituents
- Flavonoids and anthocyanins (pigments)
- Tannins and phenolic acids
- Geographic context
- Widely cultivated across Iran, with the Kashan region especially associated with large-scale rosewater distillation; also cultivated in Bulgaria's and Turkey's rose valleys for the perfumery industry.
- Harvest context
- Flowers are hand-picked in a short early-morning window during the spring bloom, then distilled promptly — oil and aroma content fall quickly after picking.
Kashan's Gol-e Mohammadi rose harvest and rosewater distillation (golab-giri) is a long-running seasonal tradition in central Iran, and Iranian rosewater remains a widely used ingredient in Persian cuisine, confectionery and traditional practice.
Rosewater distilled from Rosa damascena has a long documented history of use across Persian and wider Middle Eastern culinary and medicinal traditions, alongside its role in perfumery.
In traditional Persian medicine, rose preparations have been used as a calming, digestive and mildly astringent remedy, and rosewater is traditionally used as a flavouring and fragrance in food, sweets and beverages.
This traditional use is a historical and cultural record, not a clinical claim, and it is not medical advice.
Safety Note
Rose preparations are widely used as food and fragrance ingredients. Essential-oil aromatherapy studies used standardized products under supervised conditions; concentrated essential oil should not be taken internally or applied undiluted to skin. Anyone pregnant, nursing, or with a fragrance sensitivity should seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional.
This page is provided for educational information about botany, heritage and traditional use. It is not medical advice and does not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.