Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — The indisputably Caesar of Russian tea table "Samovar" has attracted visitors to the Hospitality Museum at "Misk Historic Jeddah" initiative currently organized by Initiative Center of Crown Prince Muhammed Bin Salman’s Misk Foundation in Jeddah.

Visitors thronged the museum to know different cultures in making and preparing tea.

The “Samovar”, or known to some Arabs as “Smowar”, catches the largest share of visitors’ curiosity, although Jeddawis knew it more than 200 years ago and used it in boiling water and drinking tea.

“Most Samovars found in the museum are mainly Russians then, Turkish, Moroccan and European as they used coal to replace lack of electricity and gas more than 150 years ago” said Samaher Bashmakh, museum supervisor, adding that, the "Samovars" are characterized by vents in the bottom, which allow water ventilation to prevent pressure, while using coal to heat water inside the tube, as the steam from boiling water indicates its readiness for use.

According to Bashmakh, sizes of the Samovars vary as needed, thus, household usage capacity didn’t exceed 400 liters of water, while one liter is the smallest size. Hospitality museum in Jeddah's historical area includes also many mini or mobile Samovars, which are supplementary to the large ones and its use was limited on transferring boiled water to the guests. Jeddah families burst with pride about the inscriptions decorating Samovars (mainly made of copper and also bronze, nickel or stainless chrome). However, there are Samovars that were made of gold, silver, glass and porcelain and their shapes were changed more than once. Its lovers preferred the oldest ones because they were made of gold and Baghdadis called them the 7-metal Samovars.

Russia was the first country to use Samovars in 1717. Initially its use was limited to Tsarist family and the nobles. Its use began to spread among public after its production by the two brothers Ivan and Nazar Fyodorovich in 1778 in the Russian city of Tula, which has famous plant that produced and exported Samovars to Eastern Europe with a special sealing, indicating its good quality. Later, Samovars started to prevail over other countries.