The Summer Houses of Oman
THERE was a time not so long ago when homes were built with whatever material was available locally. Those were the days before the cement factory was set up and before conveniences like ready-mixed concrete carriers whizzed through traffic to reach a construction site. It was also a time when air conditioners were yet to make a debut and electricity was an unknown commodity.
A barasti hut near Oman Dive Centre, Qantab
The hot summer months had to be faced with hand held fans and reliance on the land and sea breezes. This was when the people of Oman relied on the palm frond houses- karijins and barastis. The barastis and karijins were found all along the seacoast right from Musandam to Salalah. Today, it is only the older generation that can remember these two types of homes. The barastis were basic and mainly for the summer and the karijins were more elaborate and used during all months of the year. Both relied on the palm fronds as the basic material for construction.
Karijin built to beat the summer heat
The karijin was formed of several single room units depending on the needs of the family. One or more of these huts were located within an area walled with palm fronds. There was provision for the cooking and washing areas and shelves for storage as well. The main beams of these houses made use of local wood or sometimes imported Indian teak. In some cases, external posts were used to provide strength and an increased decree of support.
There were two methods of putting the karijin house together. In the first the stems were stripped and tied together with coir to form a frame and in the second method the fronds were used whole with the leaves and all. In the stripped method, the thick lower end of one frond was placed against the slim upper end of another and then tied together to form a kind of a frame. These frames were of a particular width and height and when complete could be rolled up and stored, or carried from place to place. The full frond panels were used for the roof and to serve as external fencing. The height of luxury within a karijin was a wind-catcher built entirely of palm fronds. On the Batinah coast, these were put up especially during the summer months and then removed.
The barastis were built mainly by the people in the fishing profession and by those who needed to oversee date cultivation. They were mostly single units built as temporary dwelling houses to beat the summer heat. A raised platform was built in one corner to serve as the sitting, sleeping or the cooking area. A senior citizen who spent many summer days in a barasti says that it was the best and only solution for beating the heat.
Within the luxury of a Kairijin
"My family used to stay in a boat to get relief from the heat. I was prone to being sea sick and had to stay in a barasti." She recalls that everything was fine but often one had to face surprise visitors — creepy-crawly insects that were equally keen to come in and take shelter from the heat. The materials used in the construction of these aesthetic and environment-friendly structures were all from nature and for this reason barely lasted one or two summers. Since the basic materials were easily biodegradable few of these structures now remain. Once in a while one may chance upon one or two vertical poles which were part of an old karijin. The science of construction and the methodology have all but disappeared.
The craftspersons who knew how to put a palm frond house together have had little opportunity to practice their skills or communicate the know-how to someone in the family. After thirty years of rapid social change, there is little demand for these types of homes today. A person holding a prestigious job in either the government or private sector would certainly like to move up from the palm frond home to a set-up where modern conveniences are available at the touch of a button. None of those luxuries were part of the old karijins and barastis.
Craftsmen making a Karijin for the summer season
The government has recognised this and made many efforts to keep alive the ancient skills. In 1980, a two-storey palm frond house was constructed on the occasion of the National Exhibition held to celebrate the tenth anniversary of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos's accession. From then on every exhibition or festival has celebrated the karijin and barasti. The last Muscat Festival held by the Muscat Municipality re-created the palm frond structures in the Qurum Natural Park and some of these structures are still visible.
Visitors to these exhibitions gasp when told that their parents and grandparents once lived in these basic structures. Commercial establishments like the sea side resort at Al Sawadi took a cue and adapted the karijins to serve as a seaside lounge cum restaurant.
Last year the Oman Dive Centre at Qantab settled on the barasti to increase their accommodation. Right on the beach are a few barasti huts that complement the other accommodation. These are a trifle different from their ancestral versions and boast a cooling system, electric supply and the other paraphernalia essential to bring in tourists. A spokesperson at the Dive Centre says that the traditional Omani bungalows are greatly in demand.
The Journal of Oman Studies has documented the construction style and techniques of the karijins for posterity. Future generations will have to think of innovative means of keeping alive the memories of the old summer houses of Oman.
Oman Observer 21st July 2002
