Commercial markets around the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madina are crowded with visitors of late, especially pilgrims prior to their return to their home countries. The reason? Purchasing gifts for families and friends back home or souvenirs for themselves that will remind them of their visit's spiritual significance. Subha (or ‘tasbih' beads, also know as a rosary) of all kinds are a common gift choice. Visitors and pilgrims are eager to buy gifts from the holy places, with some even purchasing in bulk to take back home. Historically, the subha was seen as a manifestation of piety and used as a tool for worship by the elderly only, but it has now evolved into a tradition with a variety of other functions in the hands of people of all backgrounds and ages. Because there are many types of subha, its material value differs depending on the raw material with which it is made. Prices are higher when the subha is made of semi-precious stones like garnets, turquoise or amber and the prices go down when it is made of wood or plastic. The uses of subha vary from worship, as a means to show off one's social standing or as a form of psychological calming. It allows smokers, for instance, a way to focus away from their physiological need to smoke and has a calming effect on them. Recently, the subha has become the latest luxury accessory though, with people willing to spend hundreds and even thousands of riyals on purchasing ones made of semi-precious, precious and rare stones and even a variety of different colored ones to match their clothes. Long the hub of pilgrims, subha shops are being frequented by residents with equal fervor. Housewives are particularly fond of purchasing large subha for home decoration purposes like adorning walls and complementing wall hangings and tapestries. Making subha has also become a profession for many women who work from home and conduct a small business in making and selling subha. Nouf Al-Omair is one such housewife and she told Saudi Gazette that her hobby started to sell when she made a colorful subha on the occasion of her daughter's birth and her relatives and friends loved it. Encouraged by them, she took part in a local bazaar offering hand-made products and managed to receive a number of orders in one day, especially from young women in the twenties who wanted to buy it as a present for their mothers because of the upcoming Mother's Day. “The orders rise near special occasions like Ramadan and Eid, and making one subha takes an hour or 45 minutes,” she explained. Omar Al-Hariri, a collector of rare stones and subha who has a rare stones' shop in Makkah, also spoke to Saudi Gazette about his love for his hobby. “Subha is a wonderful world of lobes and rare stones. In the past, subha made of amber was the most expensive because it has a pleasent smell and shone in the dark. There are many types of amber, ranging from yellow to the dark red of Italian variety but that is quite rare,” he explained. Historically made from mundane items like seeds, mud, stones, shells and wood, the subha are now made with materials like bronze, gold, pearly and now, even diamonds. Characterized by the trademark lighthouse at the end, the subha is traditionally divided into three parts made of 33 beads. However, it is not uncommon for the whole subha to be made of 33 beads or for each part to consist of 66 or 99 beads.
