Besht credited ‘Messi’ when Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, and FIFA president, during the coronation of the Argentina national team at the 2022 World Cup, recalled the history of Muslim industry in Qatar and the Persian Gulf , whose roots extend to the Persian Gulf states.
International cameras monitored “Messi” between his Argentine national teammates and the cape on his shoulders, while Qataris and many tweeters and followers in the Gulf countries celebrated this image with the bisht, as a symbol of Qatari and Arab culture, which has caused widespread sales of the bisht in Qatar and the Persian Gulf.
Bishout-making specialists in Qatar have revealed that the profession has been rooted since the 1930s and came from Al-Ahsa in eastern Saudi Arabia through the influx of artisans and skilled knitters and sewers from Muslimahs, bringing the current price of handmade bisht in Qatar at 9 thousand riyals, depending on the material and type of zari used, and to be done manually, it takes 10 days, and goes through several stages, the first of which is the haila, followed from the touq phase, then the qursh, then the maqsar, then the bardakh and finally the installation of the rope.
Bisht sewn
Al-Ahsa – East Saudi Arabia bisht producer Muhammad al-Qattan told Al-Arabiya.net: The bisht that the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, gave to the “Messi” player is luxurious type, because the fabric from which this bisht is made is hand-woven Najaf cloth, it can cost more than 6,000 Saudi riyals, and it is a transparent Najafi summer bisht.
Regarding the naming of the bisht that was presented to Messi as a Qatari abaya, Al-Qattan pointed out that the handmade bisht has its source and origins in Al-Ahsa, which is still the earliest source of bashout at the level of the Persian Gulf.
In the details that Al-Qattan narrated about the secret of Al-Hasawiya bashout, he mentioned that the manual ones are made of fabrics made in Al-Hasa, including the quilted fabric, and there are well-known carvings, including the real one, which it is known throughout the Gulf countries, and there are types, including foam, brick and mokhamus, which are the most famous carvings, and various types of carvings. Al-Zari is the “polished edge”, and one of the most famous is the German Al-Zari.
Messi lifts the World Cup wearing a bisht
Bishout variety
Bashout fabrics vary and are summer, winter and spring. Winter cloth, which is made of fluff and wool, is used in cold winter. In summer, light cloth is used in weddings or formal occasions. As for spring , it is used in the seasons between summer and winter. There are also different types of bashout. These are German first class, there are Indian saris, and German and French saris are used.
There are said to be many types of bisht, depending on the fabric, and the najafi cloth is the highest priced and the best. There is also the Japanese cloth, which is widely circulated and worn at social events such as weddings and conferences. the most popular is the Japanese najafi cloth, which is of the same quality that Messi wore during his 2022 World Cup coronation, and is one of the best types of bishout.
Al-Ahsa is the source of the Gulf coup
The Al-Ahsa region is considered the main supplier of Al-Mashleh to the Saudi and Gulf markets. It is considered one of the centers of the bashout industry in eastern Saudi Arabia, and from there the industry moved through the migrations of artisan families to the Gulf countries, the Levant and Iraq, and the children of those families inherited the profession .
It is characterized by the embroidery of the edges of the openings with zari threads, as it is an official dress worn by statesmen, notables and prominent figures of the country, as well as worn by the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony.
The Hassawi bisht is characterized by the quality of its craftsmanship, hand-woven, and by the Zari threads, which are silk threads that usually take on gold and silver colors.
