AL JALAHMA HOUSE

The Al Jalahma family was involved in all aspects of the pearling industry. The sons dived for the oysters, the father commanded the dhow, which the uncle built. Once the season was over, the cousins unloaded the merchandise. Grandfather, the tajir (trader), sold them to the most prosperous merchants, the same ones who acted as intermediaries with foreign buyers. A well-honed economy, of which this house represents the hidden face. The Al Jalahmas were indeed a large family, and consequently many sons lived at home with their wives. So there were more women than men in the house. The architecture of the house was designed around different spaces where the wives could hide from the gaze of strangers. A tangle of corridors, balconies and staircases enabled them to carry out their daily activities without coming across their husband's guests. But unlike other places on the circuit, the main reception room (the hafiz) was in the center of the building, not outside. During the fishing season, when Muharraq became a women's town, the Al Jalahma women liked to rest in the hafiz. They would sometimes receive their neighbors there, sew together or drink tea, sheltered from the hustle and bustle outside. This intimate, spacious heart of the home reflected the central role they played.