The UAE heritage files: The majlis

Learn the way of the land

In this installment of the UAE heritage files, an exploration of the rich and ravishing Emirati culture, tradition and hospitality, we’re taking a deep dive into the majlis, a cornerstone of Emirati culture.

As residents of this foreign country we choose to call our own, we must learn the way of the land we love, and the majlis is as deeply ingrained in this society as can be. If you’ve lived in the UAE long enough, you’ve seen a majlis, talked about a majlis, or at least came across a mention of it.

In the present

Understanding the importance of a majlis comes from the meaning of the word itself – council or sitting place. A majlis is essentially the social centre of a typical Emirati domestic setting, a place where members of the community gather to socialise, discuss community matters and flourish hospitality to their guests.

While the majlis is a vital hub of the home, locally, the custom is that the majlis space for men and women is separate. These spaces, traditionally massive rectangular halls featuring a seating set-up of cushions and mattresses lining the walls, reflect the religious inclination of Emirati society, in which open interaction between strange men and women is looked at more conservatively. In a way, it also provides guests, especially women, to socialise in a more relaxed manner.

Globally, the majlis has been recognised and inscribed in 2015 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

History

The majlis was a tented meeting place where warm hospitality would be extended to guests before top-level political and business meetings. Ahead of negotiations, guests would be welcomed here first, a custom that was first established thousands of years ago since this region has been trading with the Silk Route.

People also gathered here for a number of reasons – to discuss local events, exchange news, resolve problems, pay condolences, host wedding receptions and give religious clerics a space to clarify political, social and religious rights and responsibilities.

Spinning the wheel of society

If you study any civilisation, you will find that a community space like the majlis shapes up to become a preservation site for the culture and heritage of that society. Places where people meet to exchange dialogue automatically play an important role in the transfer of oral heritage, including folk stories, folk songs and ‘Nabati’ poetry, in the case of the Emirates.

These are places where culture is imbibed by the next generation, as majlises are open to all age groups and knowledge is mostly transmitted informally to the children who accompany older community members, family and friends on their visits. Through observing elders in the Majlis, the children learn the manners and ethics of their community, dialogue and listening skills, and respect for the opinion of others.

Images: Getty/UNESCO