Kharjat_nīl: (Arabic, nīl: Indigo), stiff Indian cotton also known colloquially in the UAE by (Shaylah), (warag), (kashf al Mahatah). Purchased in bolts known as (tagat) or (lafat) or (marawid shiyal kham), one (Tagah) yielding 20 medium size face masks (baragi’). It is customarily pounded or rubbed to produce metallic lustre ranging from yellow to brown to reddish-gold, with the former considered higher in quality, the blueish purple comes next and the greenish-gold being the least valuable.

Share