Bedouin Hospitality

By Kieran

 Bedouin Hospitality

 


Original artwork and poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2026, recalling the ancient Bedouin practice that gave shelter to strangers, fed them choice dates with 'qahwa' or coffee, and housed them for 3 days in the 'majlis' section of the tent


In the extreme conditions of the vast Sahara deserts blooms empathy
Even strangers given respite and treated with kindness and sympathy

Three days and nights before you even ask them their names or business
To do anything less is unthinkable - a heinous crime beyond forgiveness

The guests are offered coffee, dates and treated with dignity and respect
These are unwritten ancestral practices meant to shelter and to protect

Somewhere in our rush to embrace modernity we lost our basic humanity
We treat our fellow human beings as trash; What inanity! O the insanity!

Comments

Anonymous said…
True - Bedouin hospitality is genuine and legendary. Next time, next to the dates a bowl of camel butter/cream can be added for a local touch. The full picture lil cupps to sip the cardamom coffee. (WhatsApp comment from a very dear friend in Florida)
February 14, 2026 at 6:04 AM
Kieran said…
Good point. This started off as something else but morphed into a Bedouin still life - when I reimagined the tall vessel to be a ‘dallah’, the iconic Omani coffee pourer which is a traditional symbol of hospitality. We have a couple of them. The dates and Omani pearls were added to it as well
But I really like your idea of a pair of small ‘finjan’ or handleless coffee cups. Brilliant - Kieran
February 14, 2026 at 6:05 AM
Anonymous said…
Beautiful colour variations. What is the red fruit? I thought it was a pomegranate but it doesn’t look like it when I zoom in. (WhatsApp comment from a very dear sister-in-law in Houston)
February 14, 2026 at 6:05 AM
Kieran said…
It’s an anar, my anarkali 🥰
Zoom karke kahaa chali 🤔 - Kieran
February 14, 2026 at 6:06 AM
Anonymous said…
Kieran: Two in one ie A writer & an Artist 👌👌👌 (WhatsApp comment from a dear schoolfriend)
February 14, 2026 at 6:07 AM
Kieran said…
Thanks Rakesh. It’s the seasonal sales where you get two for the price of one. But the sale gets over fast 😅 - KIeran
February 14, 2026 at 6:07 AM
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