Remember the sunken living rooms and conversation pits that were popular in the 1960s? (Mad Men taught me so much.) That’s what I’m reminded of when I’m in a Saudi “majlis.”
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The majlis is a large room in Saudi homes that is used to entertain guests. Cushions, usually resting on the floor, line the walls and these rooms are used for all kinds of social functions, from weddings and parties to funerals and forums. Men and women (in their respective rooms) discuss news and events, trade gossip, and solve the world’s problems – with a steady stream of “gahwa” or “chai.” Children are privy to these interactions and community values and norms are instilled in the hours they spend listening to uncles and older brothers debate and discuss. UNESCO has even recognized majlis as a pillar of “intangible cultural heritage” throughout the Arabian Peninsula.
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The fanciness of the room varies – gold gilded furniture and décor is extremely popular here, but equally common is simple patterned cushions on carpet, and always thick drapes. Regardless of the decoration, it’s clear the purpose of the room is for conversation and relationship. The cushions aren’t positioned around a TV, which is refreshing. And when you’re sitting low to the ground, for some reason it makes the atmosphere more relaxed and intimate.
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We don’t have a majlis in our house (yet) but when the room isn’t used for entertaining guests, I can imagine it would be a fantastic roughhousing, fort-building, and board-game-playing room too. This pic was taken in our friends’ majlis– they’re American but have clearly adapted to Saudi quite well.
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