Page 52 - Arabiab Studies (IV)

42 Arabian Studies IV
conduct of business by the merchant-proprietor of Bayt al-
Mu’ayyad. In this context, H. R. P. Dickson8 refers to the ‘datcha’
of Kuwayt in 1944 as ‘... a long scat for guests, outside the wall of
a house ... made of mud, or stone and mortar’ and he mentions
ihe sea-captains of Kuwayt sitting on the dichchah of the sea-front
louses engaging their ships* crews. I assume that the latter
reference explains to some extent the position of the dichchah of
Bayt al-Mu’ayyad on the seaward side of the house, for the owners
doubtless ran ships and even today, fish are still caught from
Samahlj.
A third type of open air resting place connected with Bayt
al-Mu’ayyad is the burahah, a platform measuring 14x6 m., 1 m.
in height and situated some 6 m. north of the main enclosure. The
platform is of packed earth buttressed by a surrounding wall of
coral aggregate, finished with hard, cement-like plaster. The
burahah served as an open air reception place, corresponding to
the interior reception room (majlis) and would have been used in
the cooler and shaded later afternoon and evening. The burahah is
not peculiar to Samahlj, being known on Tarut and elsewhere in
this area of the Arabian shore of the Gulf. I understand Gulf
burahah are not only used for receptions but also for men to dance
at ‘Id al-Fitr and ‘Id al-A<Jha, occasions on which the local shaykh
would have been present for the entertainment. I cannot but help
wonder that the burahah for dancing would not have been larger
than the platform of Bayt al-Mu’ayyad, however, and in this
respect it is important to bear in mind the diverse level areas of
vastly different dimensions which are termed burahah. Thus
Philby9 mentions a ‘baraha’ which served as a camping ground in
al-Kut, one of the quarters of Hufuf in al-Ha§a oasis. Vidal10
mentions one of the gates of al-Hufuf which in the early 1950s was
sometimes referred to as ‘Dirwazat al-Barahah’, but more
commonly was called ‘Dirwazat al-Khayl’ or ‘Dirwazat al-Fathah’.
In al-Riyad, in 1917-18, Philby11 mentions another large level area
east of the Friday Mosque, the Royal Palace and the main square
which was known as ‘Baraha Muraijid’ and which was employed as
a camel park. In view of the use of the terms burahah or barahah
to describe any large level area, I am rather dubious of assurances
given to me by people from the Gulf that burahah are used for
receptions and for dancing when applied to a platform like that at
Bayt al-Mu’ayyad. I imagine that large spaces would have served
as sites for dancing, while the smaller platforms for receptions: the
flatness of both permitted them to be described as burahah or
barahah. I assume, therefore, that burahah like that of Bayt
al-Mu’ayyad were used only for reception purposes, and if ever

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