Discovery of Rose Oil, 1582
The Damask rose (Rosa damascena), Provence rose (Rosa Gallica) and Eglantine (Rosa elganteraia) are the three oldest roses in cultivation and are considered to be the most fragrant roses in the world. These are the main roses used to make the essential oil. It was first discovered in 1582 in Persia, at the wedding feast of princess Nour-Djihan with the Emperor Djihanguyr, son of Akbar, when a canal circling the whole garden was dug and filled with rose-water. The bridal pair when rowing on the fragrant water observed the heat of the sun separating the water from the essential oil of the Rose. It was skimmed off and found to be an exquisite perfume. The discovery was immediately turned to account and the manufacture of Otto of Roses was commenced in Persia about 1612. Rose oil, meaning either rose otto (attar of rose, attar of roses) or rose absolute, is the essential oil extracted from the petals of various types of rose. Rose ottos are extracted through steam distillation, while rose absolutes are obtained through solvent extraction or supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, with the absolute being used more commonly in perfumery. Even with their high price and the advent of organic synthesis, rose oils are still perhaps the most widely used essential oil in perfumery
