Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, is a liminal, contradictory place: without delay glamorous and decrepit; feudalist and cosmopolitan; fashionable and conventional.

And so it’s completely cheap and bewildering that the Al Kinaan store of curiosities ought to exist subsequent to an electronics retailer and throughout from a grocery store ― without delay in discord and concord with its environment; usually Beiruti.

The small, archaic boutique is situated in Beirut’s energetic Basta neighbourhood. A hyena within the store window sneers at prospects and passersby as they not far away, getting ready them for entry; dozens of stuffed animals are displayed within the glass storefront and contained in the store.

Half apothecary, half occult novelty retailer, Al Kinaan’s theme is tough to pin down. And very similar to Beirut, it’s contradictory: a spot the place noble custom meets novel superstition.

Retailer-owner Issam al Barjawi says his enterprise helps to maintain alive the fading traditions of the attar: apothecaries who concentrate on distilling plant and animal organs to create perfumes, salves, and medicines to deal with bodily and religious illnesses.

“I haven’t discovered anybody else who does the identical factor that I do,” Mr Barjawi mentioned. “The work that I do and the precise selection I inventory isn’t discovered anyplace else in Lebanon.”

Al Kinaan incorporates a whole bunch of treatments for varied illnesses ― some remedies are scientifically sound, whereas others are rooted in superstition.

Mr Barjawi takes a small bag labelled “hyena gallbladder, $6” off the show rack.

“The bile in a hyena’s gall bladder ought to be blended with cedar honey,” he mentioned. “Then utilized as a kohl across the eyes.

“It improves eyesight, repels glaucoma, and it lengthens eyelashes.”

Traditionally, attars are the Islamic predecessors of modern-day pharmacologists. The peak of Islamic civilisation introduced medical advances between the seventh and thirteenth centuries ― introducing distillation methods and the usage of alcohol as an antiseptic, for instance.

Regardless of the arrival of latest medication, apothecaries nonetheless exist all through the Arab world in some kind or one other ― carrying a wealthy custom of people practices.

Most attars at the moment run fragrance stalls, promoting hand-mixed scents from distilled oils and touting the advantages of aromatherapy.

Others ― often tucked away in outdated souqs and alleyways ― have remained more true to their apothecary roots, utilizing herbs and oils to create cosmetics, perfumes and prescribed drugs to deal with a spectrum of illnesses from dry pores and skin and dandruff, to rheumatism, irritation, respiration points, and hypertension.

Mr Barjawi specialises in making pure treatments, in addition to offering gem stones or animal talismen derived from Islamic custom or folklore.

“All the pieces within the retailer is Islamically permitted,” he says, drawing from the traditional specialists. Lots of his research are from a guide known as The Nice Animal Life, a Twelfth-century assortment of animal-related jurisprudence and spiritual accounts by the Mufti Kamal Al-Din Al-Damiri.

Mysticism is plentiful in Islam. Ayatul Kursi, for instance, is a Quranic verse that wards off the satan and evil spirits; some scented oils derived from crops and animal glands are believed to repel djinn and the gaze of the evil eye.

Typically Mr Barjawi’s store is frequented by individuals desperately looking for options to their issues.

The place is stuffed with concoctions and animal components mentioned to help with impotence, infertility, and fruitful marriages.

“Yesterday I made a combination of honey and floor seahorse for a buyer, for fertility. He’s been married 4 years however no youngsters,” he mentioned. After docs discovered nothing incorrect with him or his spouse, “He resorted to making an attempt this. It strengthens the seed.”

Seahorse can be used for locating love, luck, and attaining social status. It sells for $8.

Mr Barjawi explains the results of every product with nice persistence and enthusiasm.

Hedgehog spines, $3, are an essential merchandise, he says.

Hanging it above the mattress of a pregnant lady will thrust back Umm al Sobyan ― the notorious djinn feared all through the Arab world and mentioned to pressure girls to miscarry.

A paste of floor ostrich eggshell blended with honey and herbs generates hair development and prevents hair loss.

Lion pelt, when sat upon, repels haemorrhoids ― however it additionally provides braveness.

Carrying tiger pores and skin aids one’s social standing. Kangaroo pores and skin is used for good luck, but additionally to keep up wholesome kidneys. The pores and skin of a wolf repels enemies. Burning porcupine thorns will forestall djinn from coming into one’s house. A tiger’s fang has no medical or religious profit, however makes for a pleasant amulet.

And, in fact, “essentially the most extremely demanded merchandise are aphrodisiacs. For sexual vitality”.

If he doesn’t know the reply to an ailment, Mr Barjawi refers prospects to extra skilled attars or practitioners of Arab medication.

The merchandise in Mr Barjawi’s retailer usually veer into the curious and the unique, and one may very well be forgiven for considering his enterprise advantages from unlawful poaching commerce.

However, he insists, all his animal merchandise are ethically sourced in response to Islamic regulation.

“Folks assume we kill the animals in order that we will profit from them, however that’s not true,” he says. “If an animal is already lifeless, we harvest its components.”

The one permissible harvesting from slaughtered animals is when an animal has been killed in response to zabiha ― or ritually slaughtered with the intention to eat.

In fact, much less adventurous choices are additionally bought in Al Kinaan. Honey sourced from everywhere in the jap world; jars of pollen for immunity. Black seed oil for irritation, hypertension, and complications; an assortment of important oils. Rows of valuable stones: Hematite stone bracelets for rheumatism and elevated blood-flow; turquoise for luck.

Mr Barjawi’s reverence for animals and wildlife shines by way of as he talks. He owns quite a lot of animal-related companies, he mentioned, together with, earlier than Lebanon fell into extreme financial disaster, a zoo.

He admits his different companies are extra profitable than the apothecary, which is a labour of affection and a option to flow into the data of the attars to the broader group and hold it alive.

A few of his prospects place inventory in superstitions, he says. Others are extra sceptical.

To the sceptics, Mr Barjawi says: “I encourage them to attempt it, and discover out for themselves.”

Up to date: October 14, 2022, 6:00 PM